I received my B.A, PGDip and M.Sc. degrees in Computer Science from the University of the South Pacific, FIJI in 1999, 2002 and 2010, respectively; and the Ph. D degree in Computer Science (in the area of Artificial Intelligence with specialisation in Computer Vision, and with applications to health informatics) from the University of Canberra, AUSTRALIA in 2021. My research work spans the areas of pattern recognition, computer vision and multi-modal information extraction and integration with a focus on brain-inspired cognitive architectures. I have also worked on the area of computer graphics with applications to facial expression generation and animation using Facial Action Coding System. I am also an adjunct Professional Associate with the University of Canberra, Australia.

Undergraduate Courses:
CS001, CS111, CS112, CS241, CS341, CS400, IS122, IS222, IS226, IS314, IS333,

Postgraduate Course:
IS421, IS431, IS434

My current research work is centred around the areas of pattern recognition, computer vision and multi-modal information extraction and integration with a focus on brain-inspired cognitive architectures. The outcomes of my research are applied to improving the health and well-being of people; particularly in the area of melanoma detection using clinical and crowd sourced skin lesion images, and development of assistive feedback devices for the blind using live video feeds.

• Adjunct – Professional Associate, Faculty of Science and Technology, University of Canberra, Australia
• Human Centered Computing Laboratory (HCC), University of Canberra, Australia
• Member of Open Research Group, University of the South Pacific Suva, Fiji
• IEEE Member (Professional) & IEEE Computational Intelligence Society Member
• Professional Member, South Pacific Computer Society (SPACS) (h.ps://www.usp.ac../spcs/index.htm)

• Apr 2011 – Gold Medal and the Fijian Holdings Limited Prize for the most outstanding Master of Science thesis (The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji)
• Apr 2021 –  USP A Rank Publication Award (The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji)
• Aug 2016 – USP Staff Development Award – Partial Funding for PhD (The University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji)
• Jun 2016 –  Scholarship Fee Waiver for International Higher Degree by Research Students (University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia)
• Jan 1999 – Multi-Ethnic Affairs Scholarship for Tertiary Studies (Republic of Fiji Islands Government)

Journals

• 2022  Kumar D, Sharma D (2022) Feature map augmentation to improve scale invariance in  convolutional neural networks. Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing Research  (under review)
• 2021        Kumar D, Sharma D, Goecke R (2021) Deepzoom: A novel convolution technique using stacked kernel architecture. Elsevier Pattern Recognition (under review)
• 2023 Dinesh Kumar and Dharmendra Sharma. Feature map augmentation to improve scale invariance in
  convolutional neural networks. Journal of Artificial Intelligence and Soft Computing Research, 13(1):
  51–74, 2023. doi: doi:10.2478/jaiscr-2023-0004
• 2022 Anuraganand Sharma and Dinesh Kumar. Classification with 2-d convolutional neural networks for
  breast cancer diagnosis. Scientific Reports, 12(1):21857, 2022

Conferences

(Peer Reviewed)

• 2021 Patrick Sharma, Adarsh Sharma, Dinesh Kumar, and Anuraganand Sharma. A strategic weight
  refinement maneuver for convolutional neural networks. In 2021 .e International Joint Conference
  on Neural Networks (IJCNN), pages 1–7. IEEE, 2021. ISBN 9781665439008. doi: 10.1109/IJCNN52387.
  2021.9533359
• 2021 D. Kumar and Dharmendra Sharma. Feature map upscaling to improve scale invariance in convolutional
  neural networks. In Giovanni Maria Farinella, Petia Radeva, Jose Braz, and Kadi Bouatouch,
  editors, Proceedings of the 16th International Joint Conference on Computer Vision, Imaging and Computer
  Graphics Theory and Applications – (Volume 5), volume 5, pages 113–122. Scitepress, February
  2021. ISBN 9789897584886. doi: 10.5220/0010246001130122
• 2020 Tariq Alzyadat, Stephan Praet, Girija Che.y, Roland Goecke, David Hughes, Dinesh Kumar, Marijke
  Welvaert, Nicole Vlahovich, and Gordon Waddington. Automatic segmentation of achilles tendon
  tissues using deep convolutional neural network. In Mingxia Liu, Pingkun Yan, Chunfeng Lian, and
  Xiaohuan Cao, editors, Machine Learning in Medical Imaging, pages 444–454, Cham, 2020. Springer
  International Publishing. ISBN 978-3-030-59861-7
• 2020 Dinesh Kumar and Dharmendra Sharma. Multi-modal information extraction and fusion with convolutional
  neural networks. In 2020 International Joint Conference on Neural Networks (IJCNN),
  pages 1–9. IEEE World Congress on Computational Intelligence (IEEE WCCI), 2020. doi: 10.1109/
  IJCNN48605.2020.9206803
• 2020 Dinesh Kumar and Dharmendra Sharma. Distributed information integration in convolutional neural
  networks. In Proceedings of the 15th International Joint Conference on Computer Vision, Imaging
  and Computer Graphics Theory and Applications – Volume 5: VISAPP,, pages 491–498. SciTePress, 2020.
  ISBN 978-989-758-402-2. doi: 10.5220/0009150404910498
• 2020 Dinesh Kumar, Dharmendra Sharma, and Roland Goecke. Feature map augmentation to improve
  rotation invariance in convolutional neural networks. In Jacques Blanc-Talon, Patrice Delmas, Wilfried
  Philips, Dan Popescu, and Paul Scheunders, editors, Advanced Concepts for Intelligent Vision
  Systems, pages 348–359, Cham, 2020. Springer International Publishing. ISBN 978-3-030-40605-9
• 2019 Dinesh Kumar and Dharmendra Sharma. Enhanced waters 2d muscle model for facial expression
  generation. In Proceedings of the 14th International Joint Conference on Computer Vision, Imaging and
  Computer Graphics Theory and Applications – Volume 1 GRAPP: GRAPP,, pages 262–269. INSTICC,
  SciTePress, 2019. ISBN 978-989-758-354-4. doi: 10.5220/0007379302620269
• 2016 Dinesh Kumar and Jito Vanualailai. Low bandwidth video streaming using facs, facial expression
  and animation techniques. In Proceedings of the 11th Joint Conference on Computer Vision, Imaging
  and Computer Graphics Theory and Applications – Volume 1 GRAPP: GRAPP, (VISIGRAPP 2016), pages
  226–235. INSTICC, SciTePress, 2016. ISBN 978-989-758-175-5. doi: 10.5220/0005718202240233
  BOOK CHAPTERS
• 2023 Dinesh Kumar and Dharmendra Sharma. Global-first training strategy with convolutional neural
  networks to improve scale invariance. In Computer Vision, Imaging and Computer Graphics Theory
  and Applications: 16th International Joint Conference, VISIGRAPP 2021, Virtual Event, February 8–10,
  2021, Revised Selected Papers, pages 259–278. Springer, 2023
• 2020 Dinesh Kumar and Dharmendra Sharma. Deep learning for drawing insights from patient data for
  diagnosis and treatment – a case study of skin cancer classification. In Sandeep Reddy, editor, Arti-
  ficial Intelligence and Healthcare Delivery: Powerful Applications for Improving Healthcare Outcomes.
  Abingdon: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group, 2020
• 2020 Dinesh Kumar and Dharmendra Sharma. Deep learning in gene expression modeling. In
  Valentina Emilia Balas, Sanjiban Sekhar Roy, Dharmendra Sharma, and Pijush Samui, editors, Handbook
  of Deep Learning Applications, pages 363–383, Cham, 2019. Springer International Publishing.
  ISBN 978-3-030-11479-4. doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-11479-4 17

Chapters

• 2020       Kumar D, Sharma D (2020) Deep learning for drawing insights from patient data for diagnosis      and treatment – a case study of skin cancer classification. In: Reddy S (ed) Artificial    Intelligence and Healthcare Delivery: Powerful Applications for Improving Healthcare                Outcomes, Abingdon: Routledge, Taylor and Francis Group
• 2020       Kumar D, Sharma D (2019) Deep learning in gene expression modeling. In: Balas VE, Roy SS, Sharma D, Samui P (eds) Handbook of Deep Learning Applications, Springer International Publishing, Cham, pp 363–383, doi: 10.1007/978-3-030-11479-4 17

Research projects completed:

2016 – 2021

• Brain-inspired information fusion models to combine local and global features for image classification
• Augmentation of feature maps in Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs)
• Non-trainable global feature extractor techniques for invariant object detection in CNNs
• Spatial feature extraction techniques from images using large kernels in CNNs
• DeepZoom convolution technique in CNNs

2016 – 2017

• Feature selection for Deep Learning algorithms

2006 – 2009

• Low-bandwidth teleconferencing system using physics-based facial model
• Using Facial Action Coding System (FACS) to generate facial expressions

Industry projects -completed:

• 2013: The Institute of Internal Auditors (IIA) Fiji Website
• 2009: Power Systems Control and Monitoring System for Clay Engineering Ltd, Suva, Fiji
• 2009: Stock Management System (Jewellery products) for Anita Jewellers Ltd, Suva, Fiji
• 2006: Design and Implementation of Spare Parts Retail Management Information Systems (SPRMIS) for Vijay Auto Spares Ltd Value, Suva, Fiji
• 2006: Operations Reporting System for Goodman Fielder International (Fiji) Limited, Suva, Fiji

• 2020 Anuraganand Sharma and Dinesh Kumar. Non-image data classification with convolutional neural
  networks. arXiv preprint arXiv:2007.03218v1, 2020
  THESIS
• 2020 Dinesh Kumar. Multi-modal Information Extraction and Fusion with Convolutional Neural Networks
  for Classification of Scaled Images. PhD thesis, University of Canberra, Canberra, Australia, 2020
  2010 Dinesh Kumar. Animating facial expressions with facial action coding system. Master’s thesis,
  University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fiji, 2010

• 2020: Kumar D (2020) Multi-modal information extraction and fusion with convolutional neural networks for classification of scaled images. PhD thesis, University of Canberra, Canberra,      Australia
• 2010 : Kumar D (2010) Animating facial expressions with facial action coding system. Master’s thesis, University of the South Pacific, Suva, Fij

DIRECTED RESEARCH PROJECT (DRP)

• 2022: Gurmeet Singh (Principal Supervisor), University of the South Pacific Suva, Fiji
  Title: Strategies, risks and challenges of effective Enterprise Resource Planning adoption for Small, Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in retail sector in Fiji.

• 2021: Akhilesh Chand Shiuram (co-supervisor), University of the South Pacific Suva, Fiji
  Title: Video Highlight Generation Using Multimodal Machine Learning Approach for     E-sport   Videos (League of Legends)

MASTER

• 2022: Abhishek Swamy (Principal Supervisor) University of the South Pacific Suva, Fiji
  Title: Detecting Phishing Attacks using Computer Vision Methods
• 2021: Patrick Sharma (co-supervising), University of the South Pacific Suva, Fiji
    Title: A Strategic Weight Refinement Maneuver for Convolutional Neural Networks