Physicist · Researcher · Technology Executive
Automotive Safety · Multimodal AI · Forensic Biomechanics · Functional Safety
Based in Hyogo, JapanBSc Physics — Yale University · MSc Astrophysics — Caltech · PhD — University of Hertfordshire
My current research investigates how safety-critical vehicle systems can better detect and protect non-upright pedestrians—people already lying on the road because of a medical emergency, intoxication, or displacement following an earlier collision.
In the datasets underpinning this research programme, non-upright pedestrians show a forensic fatality rate of 33.0%, while baseline ADAS detection under simulated night conditions reaches only a 21.4% true-positive rate. My work examines how this detection gap can be addressed through physics-grounded modelling, multimodal sensing, uncertainty-aware decision systems, and functional-safety engineering.
The programme connects forensic biomechanics, multimodal sensor fusion, and ISO 26262-aligned functional safety to move from post-mortem reconstruction towards proactive injury prevention.
Current research centres on automotive safety, forensic biomechanics, multimodal AI, and injury prevention. Earlier and parallel work includes geospatial intelligence, remote sensing, astrophysics, and galactic evolution.
Battery State-of-Health as a Functional Safety Variable: an ISO 26262-Aligned AI Framework for Electric Vehicle ADAS Power Integrity
This work treats battery state-of-health as a live functional-safety variable rather than solely as a maintenance indicator. It presents a five-layer framework connecting state-of-health estimation, power-margin monitoring, safety decision logic, vehicle response, and lifecycle management.
📖 Journal: Scientific Reports
📅 Published: 3 August 2026
🔗 Article: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-65007-4
👤 Role: First Author
| 🟢 Peer-reviewed journal articles | 7 |
| ✍️ First- or sole-authored articles | 5 |
| 🔒 Japanese patent applications | 1 |
| 🚗 Principal research area | Automotive Safety and Injury Prevention |
| 🔬 Core methods | Multimodal AI · Sensor Fusion · Physics-Based Modelling · Functional Safety |
| 🌐 Additional domains | Geospatial Intelligence · Remote Sensing · Astrophysics |
- Multimodal artificial intelligence and sensor fusion
- Autonomous vehicle and ADAS safety
- Detection of fallen and non-upright pedestrians
- Forensic biomechanics and accident reconstruction
- Electric-vehicle battery and power-integrity safety
- ISO 26262-aligned functional-safety systems
- Injury-risk modelling and uncertainty quantification
- Geospatial intelligence and remote sensing
- Computational astrophysics and galactic evolution
View the complete publication record on Google Scholar
| Type | Reference | Area | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| Japanese Patent Application | 特願2025-167440 | Multimodal Sensor-Fusion System | Application filed; patent pending |
| Role | Organisation |
|---|---|
| Chairman & CEO | AN Holdings Co. |
| Director | New Space Intelligence Inc. |
| Executive Chairman | Hucha Co., Ltd |
| Role | Institution |
|---|---|
| Visiting Professor | Shiga University of Medical Science — Department of Legal Medicine |
| Visiting Professor | Kobe Gakuin University — Department of Social Studies of Disaster Management |
| Visiting Professor | University of Science and Technology, Chittagong |
View awards and recognition
| Year | Recognition | Organisation |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Top 10 Visionary Entrepreneurs Shaping the Future | CEO Monthly |
| 2025 | Global CEO Excellence Awards — Winner | CEO Monthly |
| 2022 | Most Innovative Executive / CEO of the Year — Japan | APAC Insider |
| Project | Research Direction | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Unified Fatality Risk Model | Quantifying the hidden fatality-risk gap affecting non-upright pedestrians | Manuscript in development |
| AFODS | Multimodal detection and functional-safety response for pedestrians lying on the road | Computational and translational research |
| Forensic Kinematic Reconstruction | Physics-grounded reconstruction of pedestrian impacts under uncertainty | Phase 1 framework developed |
| EV Battery Safety | Battery state-of-health and ADAS power-integrity modelling | Peer-reviewed framework published |
🚗 Automotive Safety and AI
- From Post-Mortem to Prevention: Redefining “Invisible” Pedestrians through ISO 26262 and Multi-Modal AI — SSRN, 2026
- Integrated Safety Architectures: Leveraging Multi-Modal AI and ISO 26262 to Protect Vulnerable Road Users — SSRN, 2026
- Sudden Incapacitation or Death at the Wheel: Unravelling the Predictors of Catastrophic Multi-Vehicle Collisions — SSRN, 2026
🛰️ UAV and Geospatial Intelligence
🌌 Astrophysics and Galactic Science
| Repository | Description |
|---|---|
| From-Post-Mortem-to-Prevention-AFODS | ISO 26262-aligned framework connecting forensic evidence, multimodal detection, and operational vehicle-safety decisions |
| AFODS-Sensor-Fusion-Code | YOLOv7 and GRU model scripts supporting the AFODS research programme |
| AFODS-Operational-Sequence | Visualisation of the five-stage AFODS data-processing and response pipeline |
| Advanced-Multi-Modal-Sensor-Fusion-System-for-Detecting-Falling-Humans | Supporting implementation for the peer-reviewed Vehicles 2025 study |
| Repository | Description |
|---|---|
| Forensic-Kinematic-Reconstruction-2026 | Phase 1 implementation for multimodal pedestrian-impact reconstruction using LiDAR, NIR, and inertial sensing |
| Kinematic-Safety-Framework | Cross-domain architecture connecting forensic biomechanics, uncertainty modelling, and functional safety |
| Repository | Description |
|---|---|
| Sudden-Incapacitation-or-Death-at-the-Wheel | Analysis of 1,258 incidents involving sudden driver incapacitation and severe collision risk |
| Estimator-Collapse-Theory-ECT-Framework | Formal framework for analysing high-confidence estimator failure |
| Latency-Constrained-UAV-Operations-over-SATCOM | Latency-aware modelling and risk analysis for UAV operations over satellite communications |
| Repository | Description |
|---|---|
| Formation-and-Evolution-of-Galaxies-Starlight-Synthesis-Algorithm | Galactic velocity-dispersion and spectral-synthesis implementation supporting the 2022 IJAA article |
| Unveiling-Galactic-Assembly-Chemo-Kinematic-Insights-from-Stellar-Absorptions | Numerical framework for investigating galactic assembly through stellar absorption and chemo-kinematic information |
| Area | Methods and Tools |
|---|---|
| Artificial Intelligence | Machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, multimodal fusion |
| Safety Engineering | ISO 26262, risk modelling, decision logic, safety architectures |
| Biomechanics | Impact reconstruction, injury mechanisms, uncertainty quantification |
| Geospatial Intelligence | Remote sensing, QGIS, Google Earth Engine, satellite-data analysis |
| Scientific Computing | Python, Jupyter, numerical modelling, reproducible workflows |
| Astrophysics | Stellar-population synthesis, galactic dynamics, chemo-kinematic analysis |
I welcome research and technical collaboration in:
- automotive and autonomous-system safety;
- multimodal sensing and sensor fusion;
- forensic biomechanics and accident reconstruction;
- ISO 26262 and functional-safety engineering;
- electric-vehicle battery and power integrity;
- geospatial intelligence and remote sensing;
- scientific computing and computational astrophysics.
For professional or research enquiries, please contact me through LinkedIn.
| Platform | Profile |
|---|---|
| 🟢 ORCID | 0000-0003-4641-0112 |
| 🟠 Scopus | Author ID 59245027800 |
| 🔵 ISNI | 0000 0005 3020 7165 |
| 🎓 Google Scholar | Nick Barua |
| 🔬 ResearchGate | Nick Barua |
| 🗾 researchmap Japan | nickbarua |
| nickbarua | |
| 🏢 AN Holdings | anholdings.co |
“From forensic reconstruction to proactive prevention—closing the detection gap for the pedestrians most at risk.”
— Dr. Nick Barua