Rita Cucchiara facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Rita Cucchiara
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Cucchiara in 2016
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| Born | 1965 (age 59–60) Modena, Italy
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| Alma mater | University of Bologna University of Ferrara |
| Known for | Artificial intelligence and deep learning algorithms for human behavior understanding |
| Awards | 2018 Women in Robotics You Need To Know – Robohub, 2018 Maria Petrou Prize of IAPR 2016 Facebook Artificial intelligence Research Grant |
| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Computer engineering |
| Institutions | University of Modena and Reggio Emilia |
Rita Cucchiara (born 1965) is an Italian engineer and a professor. She teaches Computer Engineering and Science at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE) in Italy. Her classes include "Computer Architecture" and "Computer Vision and Cognitive Systems."
Professor Cucchiara's work focuses on artificial intelligence (AI). She studies how computers can learn and understand things, especially through deep learning and computer vision. This helps computers understand human actions and create new images or text. She leads the AImage Lab at UNIMORE and is the director of the Artificial Intelligence Research and Innovation Center (AIRI). She also directs the ELLIS Unit in Modena. She was the first director of the Italian National Lab of Artificial Intelligence and Intelligent Systems (AIIS) from 2018 to 2021. She also led the Italian Association of Computer Vision, Machine Learning and Pattern Recognition (CVPL) from 2016 to 2018. Rita Cucchiara is a Fellow of IAPR since 2006 and an ELLIS Fellow since 2020. She is now the rector of the University of Modena.
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Academic Journey
Rita Cucchiara finished her classical studies at Liceo Classico "San Carlo" in Modena, Italy, in 1983. She then went to the University of Bologna. In 1989, she graduated with honors in Electronic and Computer Engineering.
Early Research
In 1992, she earned her PhD. Her research looked at how computers could process images and help robots see. She also studied neural networks, which are like computer brains, and genetic algorithms. During her PhD, she helped design a special computer called "GIOTTO." This computer was made to process images very quickly.
University Roles
From 1993 to 1998, Professor Cucchiara was a research assistant at the University of Ferrara. In 1998, she became an associate professor at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (UNIMORE). By 2005, she became a Full Professor. At UNIMORE, she held important leadership roles. Since 2021, she has been the Director of the Center of Artificial Intelligence and Innovation (AIRI) at UNIMORE.
Research and Discoveries
Professor Cucchiara's research mainly focuses on Computer vision and Artificial intelligence. She studies how computers can "see" and understand visual information. She also works with deep learning, which helps computers learn from large amounts of data.
Understanding Human Behavior
She was one of the first to study how AI can be used for video surveillance. Since 2003, she has worked on projects like SakBot. This project helped detect moving objects, even ghosts and shadows, in videos. Her team has created many datasets. These are collections of information used to train AI systems. For example, ViSOR helps with video surveillance, and DukeMTMC-Groups helps track groups of people.
AI for Driving and Health
Her team has also explored using cameras in cars to understand drivers. This helps check if a driver is paying attention. They also developed a neural network called POSEidon+. This system can figure out the 3D position of a person's head and shoulders from images.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Professor Cucchiara and her team used AI to help. They created a tool called "Inter-Homines." This tool uses AI to measure the space between people in a crowd. This helped ensure people kept a safe distance from each other.
Creating with AI
Since 2018, Professor Cucchiara has been working on Generative AI. This type of AI can create new things, like images or text. Her team developed the SAM Saliency Attentive Maps. This system can create "saliency maps," which show the most important parts of an image. They also work on AI that can describe images with text. This is used in areas like fashion analysis and how humans interact with robots.
Professor Cucchiara is also on the board of directors for the Italian Institute of Technology since 2017. She is also part of advisory boards for other important research centers in Germany and Spain.
Awards and Recognitions
- 2021: Listed among the Leading Academic Data Leaders by CDO magazine.
- 2020: General Chair of ICPR2020 (a big conference).
- 2018: Named one of the "Women in Robotics You Need To Know" by Robohub.
- 2018: Received the Maria Petrou Prize from IAPR.
- 2016: Received a Facebook Artificial Intelligence Research grant.
Media and Books
Professor Cucchiara's work has been featured in many Italian news outlets. These include La Repubblica, Corriere della Sera, and Il Sole 24 Ore. She has also given talks at TEDx events, sharing her ideas on AI and visual intelligence.
She is the author of the book "Intelligenza non e’ Artificiale" (Intelligence is not Artificial).
