Mahesh Saptharishi Email Address

Chief Technology Officer and Senior Vice President, Software Enterprise and Mobile Video

Avigilon (TSX: AVO) is defining the future of protection through innovative high-definition surveillance solutions.

I lead technology innovation teams that start with a hard problem requiring basic research and end with award winning commercialized solutions. I am a published author with extensive R&D experience in machine learning, computer vision, data analytics, sensor technologies and distributed systems -- essential elements of what has now gained a lot of buzz as the "Internet-of-Things." ​ I was part of the Werner H. Kirsten internship program at the National Cancer Institute. My work focused on immunology. The amazingly adaptive nature of the immune system inspired me to start thinking about mathematical models of learning. I went on to get my doctorate at Carnegie Mellon University in machine learning while working with robots (two robots named Lewis and Clark). Lewis and Clark, outfitted with 5 cameras, were built for autonomous navigation, surveillance and reconnaissance. The realization of what is possible while continuously learning from rich visual sensory data, inspired me to co-found Broad Reach Security. Two years later, Broad Reach Security joined forces with GE to develop VideoIQ - an award winning, state-of-the-art automated video surveillance system. In 2007, VideoIQ became an independent technology company focused on taking video analytics to the next level. VideoIQ was acquired by Avigilon in January, 2014. I continue to be inspired by the adaptive nature of the immune system as I work on continuously learning sensor networks (internet of things) that help bridge physical spaces and the cyberspace.