I am an Assistant Professor in the Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Dhaka and the founder and director of the Cortex AI Lab, where we focus on AI in healthcare and bioinspired robotics. My work addresses challenges in medical image and video analysis, with particular emphasis on spatiotemporal modeling, multimodal learning, and self-supervised methods for diagnostic and predictive tasks. The goal is to develop AI systems that clinicians can trust, systems that are interpretable, efficient, and capable of transforming diagnostics and decision-making.
Alongside healthcare, I lead projects that extend AI into bioinspired robotics, agriculture, and nanophotonics, reflecting my belief that important advances often emerge at the intersection of disciplines. I maintain ongoing collaborations with both academic groups and industry partners, which broaden the scope of my work and support translation of research into real-world applications.
I completed both my BSc and MSc in Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering at the University of Dhaka. My work has been recognized with the Dhaka University Research Excellence Award (2025), the Provost Award (2025), and the IQAC Special Merit Award (2024). I have secured several competitive research grants as Principal Investigator and Co-Investigator, supporting projects in healthcare AI, robotics, and interdisciplinary applications.
News
Featured Publications
BananaSqueezeNet: A very fast, lightweight convolutional neural network for the diagnosis of three prominent banana leaf diseases
Bhuiyan MA, Abdullah HM, Arman SE (Corresponding Author), et al.
- • Sub-20MB CNN optimized for edge deployment with strong accuracy.
- • Real-time inference suitable for field diagnostics.
PlantVillageVQA: A Visual Question Answering Dataset for Benchmarking Vision-Language Models in Plant Science
Preprint (arXiv); under review.
- • New VQA benchmark for plant science grounded in expert-curated queries.
- • Designed for evaluating generalist vision-language models.
PlantCareNet: an advanced system to recognize plant diseases with dual-mode recommendations for prevention
Islam M, Azad AK, Arman SE, et al.
- • End-to-end system coupling disease recognition with prevention recommendations.
- • Dual-mode guidance for proactive and reactive crop care.
Leveraging Generative Neural Networks for Accurate, Diverse, and Robust Nanoparticle Design
Rahman T, Tahmid A, Arman SE, et al.
- • Generative frameworks to explore robust nanoparticle configurations.
- • Balances accuracy, diversity, and stability in design space.
Deep Learning for Mango Leaf Disease Identification: A Vision Transformer Perspective
Hossain MA, Sakib S, Abdullah HM, Arman SE (Corresponding Author)
- • ViT-based pipeline for fine-grained agricultural disease recognition.
- • Demonstrates strong generalization across cultivars and conditions.
Intracranial Hemorrhage Classification From CT Scan Using Deep Learning and Bayesian Optimization
Arman SE, Rahman SS, Irtisam N, et al.
- • CNN classifiers with BO-driven hyperparameter tuning for CT ICH detection.
- • Improved operating points under clinical sensitivity constraints.
COVIDXception-Net: A Bayesian Optimization-Based Deep Learning Approach to Diagnose COVID-19 from X-Ray Images
Arman SE, Rahman S, Deowan SA
- • Xception-based transfer learning tuned with Bayesian optimization.
- • Improves sensitivity at clinically relevant thresholds.
Research Grants
- 2024, ICT Innovation Fund, ICT Division, Bangladesh (Principal Investigator): Building Smart Biomimic Robots for Underwater Operations.
- 2024, University Grants Commission of Bangladesh Grant (Co-Principal Investigator): Development of a Protocol for Rapid Assessment of Plants Responses to Climate-Induced Stress Using an AI-based Framework.
- 2023, UGC Grant in collaboration with University of Dhaka (Co-Principal Investigator): SmartPDE: Deep Learning Based Plant Disease Epidemiology and Forecasting.
Past Research Experience
- 2022, Research Assistant, University of Dhaka — Deep Learning to Detect Diabetic Macular Edema (DME) of Eye (DeepEye), UGC Bangladesh.
- 2021–2022, Research Assistant, University of Dhaka — AI for Automated Brain Hemorrhage Detection from CT Scans (AIBrainS), CRG.
- 2021, Visiting Research Assistant, GIS and Remote Sensing Lab, Gazipur Agricultural University.
- 2020, Research Assistant, University of Dhaka — Deep Learning in Pneumonia Detection from X-ray (DeepMoniaX), UGC Bangladesh.
Collaborations
- Ecology Lab, Department of Botany, University of Dhaka
- Microsystems & Nanoengineering Lab, Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering, University of Dhaka
- Department of Geology, University of Dhaka
- GIS and Remote Sensing Lab, Gazipur Agricultural University
Education
Teaching
Undergraduate
- Artificial Intelligence
- Machine Learning
- Fundamentals of Programming
- Object Oriented Programming
- Human–Robot Interaction
- Introduction to Robotics
- Programmable Logic Controller
- Engineering Drawing
Masters
- Neural Networks and Deep Learning