1. Lab Overview

• Leader: Prof. Anis Koubaa
• Established: Initially as a research unit in 2016, the RIOTU Lab became a full-fledged research lab in 2017.
• Focus Areas: The lab specializes in four main research domains: Deep Learning & AI, Unmanned Systems, Internet-of-Things (IoT), and Emerging Technologies.

2. Key Achievements

• Publications: 52 journal publications (41 in Q1 journals), 11 conference papers, and 2 books.
• Patents: Four patents were filed in 2023.
• Workshops & Training: 20 workshops conducted, including topics such as mastering ChatGPT.
• External Funding: Several research projects received external funding, including:
  • Drone Building Workshops
  • Serve Palms (Smart palm tracking and early disease detection)
  • Terrain-Aided UAV Navigation for GPS-denied environments
• Funds: Generated 343,610 SAR from training events and 120,000 SAR from PSU Seed Projects.

3. Major Research Projects

• Externally Funded Projects:
  • iHunter: An autonomous surveillance UAV project.
  • PSU-GPT: Advancing large language models tailored for Prince Sultan University.
• Seed Projects:
  • Big Data Analytics Architecture for Smart Healthcare using parallel and distributed systems.
  • Game-Theory Based Traffic Congestion Control for intelligent transportation systems.

4. New Software & Platforms

• Al-Nusuk Guide: An app for pilgrims to facilitate Umrah with features like an Umrah Tracker and Navigator.
• SmartGate: An AI-powered parking access control system that automates vehicle identification and gate access based on license plate recognition.
• VTOL Drone Development: A vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) drone for delivery and surveillance missions, in collaboration with ministries like the Ministry of Health and Saudi Post.
• AraNizer: A tool developed to enhance Arabic language processing with custom-trained tokenizers.
• PSU-GPT: A chatbot developed for Prince Sultan University, leveraging GPT models to support users with academic and campus-related queries.

5. Research Themes

• Unmanned Systems: Focus on drones, multi-robot coordination, and cloud robotics.
• IoT: Specialization in vehicular networks, security, and privacy in IoT systems.
• Deep Learning & AI: Applications in areas such as smart surveillance, computer vision, and face recognition.
• Emerging Technologies: Research in edge computing, big data analytics, and cloud/fog computing.

6. Partnerships & Collaborations

The RIOTU Lab collaborates with both national and international entities, including key government bodies like the Ministry of Hajj and Saudi Post. It actively participates in international conferences, such as the LEAP 2023 Expo.

7. Infrastructure

The lab boasts advanced facilities including 3D printers, custom-built drones, GPU machines, and a dedicated research area. This infrastructure is vital for cutting-edge research in robotics, IoT, and AI.

8. Awards & Recognition

Multiple researchers from RIOTU were recognized in the Stanford List of Top 2% Scientists. The lab also won awards for its work in smart transportation systems and participation in global conferences like CVPR.