Titolo di studio

• MD and PhD in Computer Science Engineering and Telecommunications - UNICT

Curriculum

Mario Collotta is a Full Professor of Computer Engineering (academic discipline IINF-05/A) at the Department of Engineering and Architecture of the Kore University of Enna (UKE), Italy. He currently serves as Coordinator of the Bachelor's Degree Course in Computer Engineering at UKE. Since 2024, he is also Director of the teaching paths A041, A060 and B016, and a member of the Board of the Multidisciplinary Centre for Advanced Training of School Personnel (CAForPeS), established by UKE and accredited by Decree of the Italian Minister of University and Research No. 337 of 7 February 2024. He is a member of the Faculty Board of the PhD Course in "Intelligent Systems for Engineering" at UKE, and was previously a member of the Faculty Board of the PhD Course in "Technologies and Management of Aeronautical Infrastructures" at the same University. He is scientific responsible of the Computer Engineering and Networks Laboratory (CENs Lab). His research activity is mainly focused on the study of innovative solutions and approaches in expert systems and networks, focused on real-time and secure application, while publishing more than 120 refereed papers in these areas.

ORCID:
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0207-9966

SCOPUS:
https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=24461190300

Settore concorsuale

09/IINF-05

Settore scientifico-disciplinare

IINF-05/A

Aree di interesse scientifico

The activity of Prof. Collotta is mainly focused on the study of control expert system applications in real-time systems and networks. His interests concern the realization of soft computing strategies and innovative algorithms in order to ensure a flexible management of resources. The flexibility refers to the ability of the system to dynamically adapt to changes in its operating conditions, without reconfiguration need. The main aim of Dr Collotta is to define flexible resource allocation policies and to achieve a good compromise between the respect of time constraints (timeliness) and efficiency, accepting, where possible, a limited performance degradation in expert systems characterized by soft real-time activities. Many case studies, in several application fields, have been (and are today yet) investigated including embedded systems and wireless communication in order to support and improve the smart solutions for expert systems application. Prof. Collotta has participated and participates to several national and international research projects in the field of AI and Expert Systems.

Campi di ricerca

• His research activity mainly focuses on the design and development of innovative, AI-based expert systems and network solutions, focused on critical, real-time, and secure applications. He has authored more than 120 peer-reviewed publications in these areas.
• His research interests include the implementation of soft computing strategies and advanced algorithms aimed at achieving flexible and adaptive resource management. This flexibility refers to a system’s ability to dynamically adjust to changes in its operating conditions without requiring reconfiguration.
• The activity of Prof. Collotta is mainly focused on the study of innovative solutions and approaches in real-time application systems and networks, based on Artificial Intelligence methods. His research interests include wireless networks and sensor networks, factory communication, distributed process control, real-time systems and network and energy-aware protocols and application. He published more than 100 technical papers on peer-reviewed international conferences, books and journals in the area of expert systems, wireless sensor networks, real-time systems and distributed systems.

Disponibilità tesi

1. Expert Systems: IoT smart Solutions
2. User experience and system usability
3. AI Robotic platforms

Progetti di ricerca

Prof. Collotta has held - and currently holds - the role of Scientific Coordinator and Principal Investigator in numerous national and international research projects, all selected for funding through competitive peer-reviewed calls. The full list follows:

• Scientific Responsibility and Project Coordination of "Il ponte sul Di-stretto" - for the development of innovative real-time interaction platforms for advanced web-marketing applications, funded by "Fondazione con il Sud - Invito Sviluppo Locale 2010". The project was funded by Fondazione con il Sud through a competitive peer-reviewed call. It supported two research grants. (2012-2015)
• Principal Investigator of the PRISMA Research Project - "PiattafoRme cloud Interoperabili per SMArt-government", funded by the National Operational Programme (PON) Research and Competitiveness 2007-2013 - Call No. 84/Ric. of 02/03/2012 - Smart Cities Projects, code PON64a2_A. National Coordinator: Prof. Francesco Castelli. Prof. Collotta was scientifically responsible for the following work packages:

o   OR7: Study of smart systems for building monitoring. Development of a prototype building-monitoring system.

o   OR9: Seismic vulnerability - Study of CLOUD-based applications for the reconstruction of the state of the territory.

o   OR10: Study of UAV fleet systems and fixed-camera networks for damage scenario reconstruction in RVA - Hardware/software development of an autonomous multi-rotor aircraft. The project was funded by the PON through a competitive peer-reviewed call. (2012-2015)

• Scientific Responsibility and Project Coordination of "Percorsi multimediali in compagnia degli esperti" - PSR Sicilia 2007/2013, Measure 413, Axis 4 - CUP H23514000370009. The project was funded by PSR Sicilia through a competitive peer-reviewed call and supported four research grants on Information Processing Systems for real-time and mobile fruition of the territory. (2014-2015)
• Scientific Responsibility and Project Coordination of the PON project "Water 4.0 - Tecnologie per la convergenza tra industria 4.0 e ciclo idrico integrato" - Protocol No. 33591 of 01/02/2019 - AOO_IAI - Sustainable Growth Fund - "Smart Factory" Application Sector. The project received a positive evaluation by MISE through a competitive peer-reviewed call and is co-funded by MISE and the Sicily Region. Prof. Collotta coordinated all ICT activities on behalf of the Kore University of Enna. Project duration at UKE: 25 months, total commitment of 750 hours. Project budget: €1,250,000.00. "Water 4.0" aims to connect Industry 4.0 with the integrated water cycle, creating an open and standard platform for sustainable water management, making interoperable the existing information systems in water utilities (GIS, SCADA and billing systems).
• Scientific Responsibility of the UKE Local Unit of the PRIN project "SMART RENEW" (SMART REhabilitation of NEtworks with high Water losses) - development of AI-based digital transformation methods and models for the localisation of water losses in water distribution networks.
• National and Local Scientific Coordinator of the PON project "SAMANTA - SmArt MAiNTenance plAtform" - F/190197/01-03/X4, CUP B78I20000100005, admitted to funding under the Sustainable Growth Fund - "Smart Factory" desk, PON I&C 2014-2020. Topic: SN_A1 - High-efficiency production processes and industrial sustainability. Sub-topic: ICT solutions for in-factory knowledge sharing; Augmented Reality and Virtual Reality technologies for product/process/system management. Activities of the UKE research group started on 01/09/2020 and have included the study and definition of innovative Machine Learning techniques for the processing of big data related to vehicle faults in public transport (with the aim of predicting their occurrence in advance), as well as the development of Augmented Reality interactive interfaces for the prototyping of guides for maintenance technicians. Project budget: €483,125.00. The SAMANTA platform integrates IoT data collection from freight and passenger vehicles, intelligent fault classification through big-data techniques, video analysis for vehicle and engine-part recognition, and Augmented Reality / Virtual Reality interactive support based on the best practices of experienced mechanics.

Previous participation in international and national projects (Research Fellow / Local Unit member):

1. PRIN 2004 - "Design and development of a control and real-time monitoring system to prevent fires" (Italian Ministry of University and Research).
2. FP7 ARTIST Design European Network of Excellence on Embedded Systems Design (Grant Agreement 214373), under the supervision of Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna - University of Pisa.
3. FP7-ICT-2007-2: Flexible Wireless Automation in Real-Time Environments.
4. PRA 2009 - "OSIRID" - University of Catania (Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering) - Scientific Responsible: Prof. Lucia Lo Bello. Role: Research Fellow.

Insegnamenti