Dr. Unnikrishna Pillai

Professor

Biography

Professor Unnikrishna Pillai has a distinguished career in electrical engineering, particularly known for his work in radar signal processing, synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging, and system identification. He began his academic career at the Polytechnic Institute of New York, where he served as an Assistant Professor from 1985 and later as an Associate Professor until 1995. Professor Pillai is currently a Professor at the Tandon School of Engineering at New York University. His educational background includes a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and notable degrees from prestigious institutions such as the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and the Institute of Technology, Banaras Hindu University. In addition to his teaching responsibilities, he has been involved in significant research and has published over thirty journal papers and more than one hundred twenty-five conference papers. He has coauthored several textbooks on electrical engineering topics and has produced educational resources, including YouTube video lectures. Throughout his career, he has also engaged in cultural projects, including translations of the Bhagavad Gita and producing music CDs showcasing traditional Indian art. His research interests encompass topics like machine learning, radar technology, and autonomous vehicle swarms, along with applications in portfolio risk management and non-linear dynamic systems.

Research Interests

Experience

Professor
1995-09-01 — Present

New York University • New York, NY

Teaching and research in radar signal processing and related fields.

Associate Professor
1989-09-01 — 1995-08-01

Polytechnic University • Brooklyn, NY

Conducting research and teaching courses related to system identification and spectrum estimation.

Assistant Professor
1985-09-01 — 1989-08-01

Polytechnic Institute of New York • Brooklyn, NY

Teaching and research in electrical engineering.

Awards

#
Fellow
2015-01-01

Patents

Method and apparatus for dynamic swarming of airborne drones
US 9104201 B1 2015-01-01

A method and system for detecting airborne unmanned aerial vehicles and maintaining a designated formation.

Method and apparatus for automobile accident reduction using localization technology
US 9187118 B2 2015-01-01

A system to maintain safe distances between vehicles in dynamic environments.