The Future Is Now: Ali Asmari of ULC Technologies On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake Up The Tech Scene
An Interview With Fotis Georgiadis
There are definitely a few pieces of advice I wish I knew before I started, but I’ll narrow it down to the top three. One is that you don’t need to know everything when you start something new, but you need to know how to find the answers to the questions that you have in your career path. This is something that I learned many times along my journey. Additionally, mistakes and failures are part of the growing process and if you are not taking calculated risks or not making any mistakes in the work that you are doing, then you are not pushing yourself to your full potential. Finally, the key to success is hard and work and consistency!
As a part of our series about cutting edge technological breakthroughs, I had the pleasure of interviewing Ali Asmari.
Ali Asmari, PhD, is the Director of Infrastructure Automation & AI at ULC Technologies. Dr. Asmari has an M.S. in Robotics and Automation and a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in Computer Vision and Machine Learning from Oklahoma State University. Prior to his work at ULC, Dr. Asmari has spent more than fifteen years in the field of robotics, with experience in design and development, Automation and Control, Computer Vision, and Machine Learning and has led projects in diverse sets of industries.
Thank you so much for doing this with us! Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?
Math and physics have always been two of my favorite topics in school. I used to do math problems in my free time for fun, so studying mechanical engineering in college was to continue pursuing both topics further. During my undergraduate studies, I formed a robotics team with some of my classmates and participated in national and international robotic competitions which led me to pursue control and automation in graduate school. During my M.S. studies, I got more involved in creating autonomous solutions based on heuristic models and decided to pursue that further. So, I focused my Ph.D. studies on computer vision and machine learning algorithms. My experience with different aspects of automation, the mechanical design of machines, control, and automation of systems and programming models to replicate human decision-making processes, equipped me with all the necessary tools to pursue a career in robotics. Since my graduation in 2014, I have been working with different companies to bring robotics to day-to-day operation with a goal of improving operational safety and increasing efficiencies.
Can you tell us about the cutting-edge technological breakthroughs that you are working on? How do you think that will help people?
At ULC Technologies, our R&D division is working on a portfolio of new technologies made to provide solutions for our customers at utilities, energy companies, and more. This division is made up of skilled engineers and machine learning experts who, in collaboration with our customers, work together to address specific customer needs or problems through the development of custom, innovative technologies.
One of the innovations that I am working on specifically, in collaboration with UK gas network SGN, is the Robotic Roadworks & Excavation System (RRES), RRES is an all-electric system that aims to improve the safety and efficiency of roadworks, minimize road closures and disruption to public transportation and ultimately reduce costs and CO2 emissions. The robotic system combines below-ground sensors, artificial intelligence, soft-touch excavation, and a variety of other bespoke tools to automate the end-to-end excavation process. When working with our utility customers, RRES can be used to scan and identify buried utilities, cut and excavate the road surface, install a fitting on the pipe and then backfill and reinstate the road. Aside from the benefits I mentioned above, this system can also enhance worker safety as it will limit the need for them to enter the excavation site and will minimize the risk of accidental damage, which improves public safety. Additionally, companies who adopt this technology will be able to teach their workforce a new skill set — operating a robot.
My team is also working on other projects that integrate artificial intelligence and machine learning. One of these projects that I am excited about is Asset Identification and Mapping (AIM), which can be used by companies who want to autonomously map out and inspect their infrastructure. Combining machine learning and a vehicle-mounted data collection system, electric companies can generate an interactive database of utility poles and assets, create GIS mapping, and conduct inspections of the overhead electric distribution system. Typically, this would be done manually by workers who would need to visit each pole, inspect the asset, and log the data. AIM improves the quality and efficiency of asset management efforts while lowering costs associated with manual labor, which can be time-consuming. Additionally, the traditional mapping system is subject to human error. Like much of our technologies, the AIM system can be tailored to customers’ needs and developed for new applications.
How do you think this might change the world?
Technology and innovation continue to progress in virtually every industry. In the energy and infrastructure, it’s been a slower adoption, however, our customers are seeing the impact of robotics in helping with job efficiency, worker safety, and reduced cost. As the energy industry continues to shift with the goal of reaching net-zero, I think that using electric-powered automated systems like RRES will be welcomed as an essential tool. We’re also supporting traditional workers in learning a new skill set that will be important because as innovation continues to evolve, so will they.
Keeping “Black Mirror” in mind, can you see any potential drawbacks of this technology that people should think more deeply about?
Robotics and automation are tools at our disposal, and it is up to us to use them wisely to enhance our lives or take them to the dark end and manipulate people and societies with them for profit or other motives. “Black Mirror” is a typical horror movie in which the villains use a technology that was designed to improve human life (as simple as a kitchen knife) and put it to use the way they were not meant to be used and cause people pain and discomfort.
What do you need to lead this technology to widespread adoption?
We’re constantly trying to reach new customers and partners who are looking for a solution to a problem and turn to us to work on that solution that eventually will become business-as-usual. From the start of the business, ULC has had a great relationship with gas utilities in both the U.S. and the UK, which has brought to us opportunities to develop and test new robotics and technologies which eventually have become well-known within the industry. In the case of RRES, our trusted relationship with the UK gas network SGN has provided us the opportunity to work with them on developing an innovative robotic system. Their team has collaborated with us on the entire process and the robot will be heading to the UK in 2022 to begin field trials. It is our collective hope that eventually RRES can be used to assist the gas network, but also to identify other applications for the system as the tools are easily interchangeable.
What have you been doing to publicize this idea? Have you been using any innovative marketing strategies?
While ULC was built on relationships with gas utilities, our R&D business and the addition of skilled engineers and machine learning experts has allowed us to come up with new innovations that can be applied to industries we may have not worked with in the past, and marketing has helped us promote that. For example, we worked with Facebook Connectivity on developing a robot that wraps fiber around power lines, which has the potential to help expand internet access globally. We’ve reached these kinds of customers through award recognition, speaking opportunities, and marketing our work through customer newsletters, social media, and generally by making connections with key leaders in the innovation world.
RRES has been a project that we’ve really focused on in multi-channel marketing. In the spring of 2021, we held a field trial event that was streamed virtually via Zoom to anyone who signed up to attend. Through promotion on social media and email marketing, we had over 100 attendees who were able to see the robot complete the end-to-end roadworks process live. This, combined with proactive media relations efforts before and after the event, led to coverage across robotic and construction-focused trade media outlets in both the U.S. and the UK. As the project continues to progress, we will continue to work with SGN on communications efforts to really showcase the innovation behind RRES.
None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story about that?
I have been lucky to have met and worked with amazing people throughout my education and career who taught me and mentored me in their own ways, helping me achieve the goals that I had set for myself. I am grateful for every single person who has touched my life in a specific way, and it all led me to the place that I am right now.
What are your “5 Things I Wish Someone Told Me Before I Started” and why. (Please share a story or example for each.)
There are definitely a few pieces of advice I wish I knew before I started, but I’ll narrow it down to the top three. One is that you don’t need to know everything when you start something new, but you need to know how to find the answers to the questions that you have in your career path. This is something that I learned many times along my journey. Additionally, mistakes and failures are part of the growing process and if you are not taking calculated risks or not making any mistakes in the work that you are doing, then you are not pushing yourself to your full potential. Finally, the key to success is hard and work and consistency!
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
“Many of life’s failures are people who did not realize how close they were to success when they gave up.”
– Thomas Edison
I read somewhere that “engineering is precision guesswork based on unreliable data provided by those of questionable knowledge”. Although it is not the actual definition of engineering, it is very accurate in depicting an engineer’s day-to-day work. The number of calculated assumptions that an engineer makes throughout a project brings a high level of uncertainty in finding the right solution or the right design on the first try. Therefore, the ones who persist in trying different things over and over are the ones who finally succeed. I can’t remember a project that I have worked on and after completing the design and build of the system everything worked perfectly on the first try. I also can’t remember a problem that I have not been able to solve when I put in the effort and patiently worked through challenges. Unfortunately, you don’t always get an unlimited budget and time to work on a problem until it is completely resolved so sometimes that leads you to give up.
How can our readers follow you on social media?
Readers can follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to check out the ULC Technologies website also!
Thank you so much for joining us. This was very inspirational.
The Future Is Now: Ali Asmari of ULC Technologies On How Their Technological Innovation Will Shake… was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.
