Tinku Acharya

Dr. Tinku Acharya is an inventor, entrepreneur, scientist, teacher, author, and internationally acclaimed technologist. He is the Founder and Managing Director of Videonetics Technology Private Limited, Kolkata, India and also a Visiting Professor of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India. Dr. Acharya received his B.Sc. (Honors in Physics), B.Tech and M.Tech in Computer Science from University of Calcutta, and PhD in Computer Science from University of Central Florida, USA. He is a Fellow of IEEE, INAE, IETE, and other institutions.

Dr. Acharya contributed to more than 160 US and International patents in various technology domains - visual computing architectures, electronic imaging, data compression, multimedia computing, computer vision, intelligent video, VLSI architectures and algorithms, etc. He contributed to over 100 technical papers published in reviewed international journals, conferences, and book chapters. He is author of four technical books - (i) Image Processing: Principles and Applications (Wiley, New Jersey, USA, 2005), (ii) JPEG2000 Standard for Image Compression: Concepts, Algorithms, and VLSI Architectures (Wiley, USA 2004), (iii) Information Technology: Principles and Applications (Prentice-Hall India, 2004), and (iv) Data Mining: Multimedia, Soft Computing and Bioinformatics (Wiley, USA, 2003), used worldwide as references both in industry and academia.

As a Principal Engineer in Intel Corporation (USA), Dr. Acharya led several R&D teams to develop electronic imaging systems, digital cameras, reprographics architecture for color photo-copier and scanners, multimedia computing algorithms and architectures. He developed the key `image processing chain’ and related VLSI algorithms to pragmatically map them into a small foot-print silicon architecture for the success of first dual-mode digital camera (the first ‘Webcam’ from Intel Corporation) program in Intel Corporation in 1990’s. His works significantly influenced the design of digital cameras in early days of its development and paved the successful transition of analog to today’s digital photography. His research work was foundation of the MXP5800/5400 processor from Intel, capable of processing 10 Billion Operations per second that enabled implementation of a set of Internet capable photocopiers from Xerox and Fuji-Xerox.

His contribution in VLSI mapping of ‘Lifting’ based Discrete Wavelet Transformation with reduced computation is pioneering in the literature. The Lifting based versatile framework to design the very ‘first’ VLSI architecture for JPEG2000 standard for image compression is well known in the literature. The JPEG2000 book authored by Dr. Acharya is a popular reference in academia and industry worldwide for both software and VLSI implementation of this standard for scalable image compression. His work on the “coprocessor architecture for fast protein structure prediction” in bioinformatics is the first published VLSI architecture known in this domain.

He founded Videonetics in 2008 with a mission to develop a unique video computing platform rich with Intellectual Property portfolio and deliver cutting-edge products worldwide. Videonetics is currently in the forefront of developing Visual Computing Platform based Intelligent Video Management System (VMS), Video Analytics, Video IoT, and Cloud architecture optimized for video. The products and technology developed by Videonetics have been successfully deployed in various critical infrastructures and smart city projects including 80+ airports, 140+ cities and enterprises, and several thousand busy traffic intersections in India. Guided by Dr. Acharya, Videonetics has developed a strong intellectual property portfolio in this domain. Videonetics is No. 1 VMS, AI based Video Analytics provider in the region.

He was elevated to ‘Fellow of IEEE’ in 2010 for his “contributions to the advancement of very large scale integration algorithms and architectures for electronic image processing”. He received the “Outstanding Engineer” award from IEEE Southwest Region, USA, and “Engineer of the Year” award from IEEE Phoenix, USA in 2008. He was identified as the ‘Most Prolific Inventor’ in Intel (worldwide) in 1999 & 2001, and in Intel Arizona, UsA site for five consecutive years (1997-2001). He is recipient of “2009 NASI - Reliance Platinum Jubilee Award for innovation in Physical Sciences” from National Academy of Science in India and the first innovator to receive this prestigious award.

Dr. Acharya served in many organizations worldwide such as Intel Corporation, AT&T Bell Laboratories, University of Maryland at College Park, Arizona State University, Intellectual Ventures, Indian Institute of Science, Indian Institute of Technology - Kharagpur, University of Calcutta, etc. He collaborated with many research and academic institutions worldwide including Xerox Palo Alto Research Center, Eastman Kodak, to name a few. He guided and supervised numerous graduate and doctoral students.

He served as a primary member in US National Body of JPEG2000 standard committee (1998-2002), International Standard Organization (ISO), for definition of this scalable image compression standard. The JPEG2000 book authored by him is a well-referenced book worldwide by practitioners and researchers in image and video processing domain. His passion is technology and innovation.