University of Peradeniya · Faculty of Engineering
Multidisciplinary AI research for a human future
MARC brings together engineers, scientists and clinicians to build AI systems that are useful, trustworthy, and grounded in real-world problems — from healthcare to smart grids.
6
Research areas
20
Research projects
81
Publications
8
Researchers
Research
Six research areas, one shared mission
Our work spans foundational AI and applied research across domains where intelligence meets impact.
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Biomedical Engineering and Wearables
7 projects
This research area sits at the intersection of engineering and medicine, focusing on the development of next-generation Wearable Health Devices (WHDs) for continuous, non-invasive patient monitoring. By leveraging advanced physiological signal processing (e.g., extracting precise features from ECG, EEG, and EMG data) and embedding machine learning algorithms directly into resource-constrained edge devices, we aim to translate raw biomedical data into actionable clinical insights. Our work encompasses the design of novel multimodal biosensors, real-time artifact reduction, and predictive modeling, ultimately driving the shift toward proactive, personalized healthcare and intelligent diagnostic systems.
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Computer Vision
5 projects
Computer vision tasks include methods for acquiring, processing, analyzing, and understanding digital images, and extraction of high-dimensional data from the real world in order to produce numerical or symbolic information, e.g. in the form of decisions."Understanding" in this context signifies the transformation of visual images (the input to the retina) into descriptions of the world that make sense to thought processes and can elicit appropriate action. This image understanding can be seen as the disentangling of symbolic information from image data using models constructed with the aid of geometry, physics, statistics, and learning theory.
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Generative AI
3 projects
Generative artificial intelligence (Generative AI, GenAI, or GAI) is a subfield of artificial intelligence that uses generative models to generate text, images, videos, audio, software code or other forms of data. These models learn the underlying patterns and structures of their training data and use them to produce new data in response to input, which often comes in the form of natural language prompts.
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Multispectral Imaging
1 project
Multispectral Imaging (MSI) research explores the capture and analysis of light from discrete, broadly spaced bands across the electromagnetic spectrum—including non-visible wavelengths like infrared and ultraviolet—to reveal hidden physical properties of materials and environments. By structuring this data into a multidimensional spatial-spectral datacube, researchers apply advanced signal processing and optimization algorithms to decode complex interactions between light and matter. This mathematical approach allows scientists to identify materials, track environmental changes, and assess structural health in ways that are impossible with standard human vision or conventional cameras.
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Smart Grid
2 projects
This research area focuses on transforming traditional power networks into autonomous, data-driven ecosystems. By integrating advanced signal processing, machine learning, and stochastic optimization, we develop solutions for the seamless integration of distributed renewable energy sources and the enhancement of grid resilience. A core component of our work involves demand-side management, leveraging techniques such as Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM) and real-time data analytics to optimize energy consumption patterns and ensure a stable, sustainable energy future.
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Socioeconomic
2 projects
This research area focuses on the critical intersection of artificial intelligence and human systems. By leveraging advanced machine learning and data analytics, we aim to understand and address complex societal challenges. Our current projects encompass a wide range of multidisciplinary efforts, including modeling human-animal behavioral dynamics, conducting deep demographic studies, analyzing large-scale mobility patterns, and developing innovative AI solutions for education. Ultimately, this group strives to translate data-driven insights into actionable strategies that improve socio-economic well-being and foster sustainable growth.
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Highlights
Recognition, grants and collaborations
Milestones from across MARC's research programme.
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ICLR 2026
COSMO-INR at a top-tier AI conference
The first top-tier AI conference paper produced by a fully Sri Lankan-affiliated research team: a new implicit neural representation framework with state-of-the-art results.
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NVIDIA Academic Grant
Heritage AI
Implicit neural representations and diffusion models applied to restoring and colorizing degraded historical images.
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Rs. 20 million
National Research Council grant
Digital twins for tea growth at the agrivoltaic research facility in Hanthana, bringing together engineering, agriculture, energy and botany.
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IDRC grant
AI for COVID
Demographic analysis of population structure and health outcomes, with joint publications in Humanities and Social Sciences Communications and Frontiers in Psychology.
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University of Oulu, Finland
International collaboration
Energy and data networking for light-based IoT, with publications in IEEE Communications Magazine.
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Q1 journals
Remote sensing research
Multispectral and hyperspectral imaging work published in IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing and IEEE JSTARS.
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Projects
Featured projects
The projects with the most published and accepted work.
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Multispectral Imaging
Multispectral Imaging (MSI)
14 papers 1 View project -
Computer Vision
Hyperspectral Unmixing
AI in Engineering AI in Climate Change11 papers 5 View project -
Smart Grid
AI-Powered Non-Intrusive Load Monitoring (NILM)
10 papers 1 View project -
Biomedical Engineering and Wearables
Biomechanical Motion Capture & Sports Performance Analysis
10 papers 2 View project -
Biomedical Engineering and Wearables
Gait and Posture Analysis
10 papers View project -
Socioeconomic
Demographic Analysis
5 papers View project
News
Latest from MARC
Awards, papers, talks and stories from the centre.
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From an Undergraduate Final-Year Project to IEEE Access
Our research on multispectral imaging for soil texture has been accepted for publication in IEEE Access (SCImago Q1; Impact Factor: 4.2).
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Empowering the Special Forces with AI!
MARC conducted a workshop on Artificial Intelligence and its practical implementations for the Special Forces of the Sri Lanka Army.
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Proudly Representing Sri Lanka Globally!
MARC has officially become a member of the Artificial Intelligence Capacity Development Network (AICDN), representing Sri Lanka.
Collaborate
Let's build the future of AI together
MARC welcomes researchers, academics, students, industry partners and international collaborators.
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Students
Undergraduate & postgraduate research
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Academics
Joint and multidisciplinary research
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Industry
Applied AI & commercialization
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International
Institutional partnerships