Arun Ravindran

Dr. Arun Ravindran

orcid

Research Focus & Metrics

Academic Career Length

15Years (2012-Present)

(Calculated once Scilit publication data is synced: current year − year of first publication + 1)

Representative Publications

View All Publications
1 February 2021 in IEEE Access
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
AGAnjus George
Anjus George
ARArun Ravindran
Arun Ravindran
MMMatias Mendieta
Matias Mendieta
Hamed TabkhiHamed Tabkhi
Hamed Tabkhi
Mez is a novel publish-subscribe messaging system for latency sensitive multi-camera machine vision applications at the IoT Edge. The unlicensed wireless communication in IoT Edge systems are characterized by large latency variations due to intermittent channel interference. To achieve user specified latency in the presence of wireless channel interference, Mez takes advantage of the ability of machine vision applications to temporarily tolerate lower quality video frames if overall application accuracy is not too adversely affected. Control knobs that involve lossy image transformation techniques that modify the frame size, and thereby the video frame transfer latency, are identified. Mez implements a network latency feedback controller that adapts to channel conditions by dynamically adjusting the video frame quality using the image transformation control knobs, so as to simultaneously satisfy latency and application accuracy requirements. Additionally, Mez uses an application domain specific design of the storage layer to provide low latency operations. Experimental evaluation on an IoT Edge testbed with a pedestrian detection machine vision application indicates that Mez is able to tolerate latency variations of up to 10x with a worst-case reduction of 4.2% of the application accuracy F1 score metric. The performance of Mez is also experimentally evaluated against state-of-the-art low latency NATS messaging system.

18 May 2023 in Computational Urban Science
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
BABabak Rahimi Ardabili
Babak Rahimi Ardabili
APArmin Danesh Pazho
Armin Danesh Pazho
GNGhazal Alinezhad Noghre
Ghazal Alinezhad Noghre
CNChristopher Neff
Christopher Neff
SBSai Datta Bhaskararayuni
Sai Datta Bhaskararayuni
Hamed TabkhiHamed Tabkhi
Hamed Tabkhi
Recent advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) have seen the emergence of smart video surveillance (SVS) in many practical applications, particularly for building safer and more secure communities in our urban environments. Cognitive tasks, such as identifying objects, recognizing actions, and detecting anomalous behaviors, can produce data capable of providing valuable insights to the community through statistical and analytical tools. However, artificially intelligent surveillance systems design requires special considerations for ethical challenges and concerns. The use and storage of personally identifiable information (PII) commonly pose an increased risk to personal privacy. To address these issues, this paper identifies the privacy concerns and requirements needed to address when designing AI-enabled smart video surveillance. Further, we propose the first end-to-end AI-enabled privacy-preserving smart video surveillance system that holistically combines computer vision analytics, statistical data analytics, cloud-native services, and end-user applications. Finally, we propose quantitative and qualitative metrics to evaluate intelligent video surveillance systems. The system shows the 17.8 frame-per-second (FPS) processing in extreme video scenes. However, considering privacy in designing such a system results in preferring the pose-based algorithm to the pixel-based one. This choice resulted in dropping accuracy in both action and anomaly detection tasks. The results drop from 97.48% to 73.72% in anomaly detection and 96% to 83.07% in the action detection task. On average, the latency of the end-to-end system is 36.1 seconds.

31 December 2024 in Future Internet
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
VBVahid Babaey
Vahid Babaey
ARArun Ravindran
Arun Ravindran
The widespread adoption of web services has heightened exposure to cybersecurity threats, particularly SQL injection (SQLi) attacks that target the database layers of web applications. Traditional Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) often fail to keep pace with evolving attack techniques, necessitating adaptive defense mechanisms. This paper introduces a novel generative AI framework designed to enhance SQLi mitigation by leveraging Large Language Models (LLMs). The framework achieves two primary objectives: (1) generating diverse and validated SQLi payloads using in-context learning, thereby minimizing hallucinations, and (2) automating defense mechanisms by testing these payloads against a vulnerable web application secured by a WAF, classifying bypassing attacks, and constructing effective WAF security rules through generative AI techniques. Experimental results using the GPT-4o LLM demonstrate the framework’s efficacy: 514 new SQLi payloads were generated, 92.5% of which were validated against a MySQL database and 89% of which successfully bypassed the ModSecurity WAF equipped with the latest OWASP Core Rule Set. By applying our automated rule-generation methodology, 99% of previously successful attacks were effectively blocked with only 23 new security rules. In contrast, Google Gemini-Pro achieved a lower bypass rate of 56.6%, underscoring performance variability across LLMs. Future work could extend the proposed framework to autonomously defend against other web attacks, including Cross-Site Scripting (XSS), session hijacking, and specific Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attacks.

24 October 2023 in IoT
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
PDF file
ARArun Ravindran
Arun Ravindran
The falling cost of IoT cameras, the advancement of AI-based computer vision algorithms, and powerful hardware accelerators for deep learning have enabled the widespread deployment of surveillance cameras with the ability to automatically analyze streaming video feeds to detect events of interest. While streaming video analytics is currently largely performed in the cloud, edge computing has emerged as a pivotal component due to its advantages of low latency, reduced bandwidth, and enhanced privacy. However, a distinct gap persists between state-of-the-art computer vision algorithms and the successful practical implementation of edge-based streaming video analytics systems. This paper presents a comprehensive review of more than 30 research papers published over the last 6 years on IoT edge streaming video analytics (IE-SVA) systems. The papers are analyzed across 17 distinct dimensions. Unlike prior reviews, we examine each system holistically, identifying their strengths and weaknesses in diverse implementations. Our findings suggest that certain critical topics necessary for the practical realization of IE-SVA systems are not sufficiently addressed in current research. Based on these observations, we propose research trajectories across short-, medium-, and long-term horizons. Additionally, we explore trending topics in other computing areas that can significantly impact the evolution of IE-SVA systems.

5 March 2025 in Preprints.org
Verified
Preprint
Open access
PDF file
VBVahid Babaey
Vahid Babaey
ARArun Ravindran
Arun Ravindran
The increasing reliance on web services has led to a rise in cybersecurity threats, particularly Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) attacks, which target client-side layers of web applications by injecting malicious scripts. Traditional Web Application Firewalls (WAFs) struggle to detect highly obfuscated and complex attacks, as their rules require manual updates. This paper presents a novel generative AI framework that leverages Large Language Models (LLMs) to enhance XSS mitigation. The framework achieves two primary objectives: (1) generating sophisticated and syntactically validated XSS payloads using in-context learning, and (2) automating defense mechanisms by testing these attacks against a vulnerable application secured by a WAF, classifying bypassing attacks, and generating effective WAF security rules. Experimental results using GPT-4o demonstrate the framework's effectiveness generating 264 XSS payloads, 83% of which were validated, with 80% bypassing ModSecurity WAF equipped with an industry standard security rule set developed by the Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP) to protect against web vulnerabilities. Through rule generation, 86% of previously successful attacks were blocked using only 15 new rules. In comparison, Google Gemini Pro achieved a lower bypass rate of 63%, highlighting performance differences across LLMs.

18 February 2026 in IEEE Access
Verified
Journal Article
Open access
ARArun Ravindran
Arun Ravindran
APAditya Patra
Aditya Patra
VBVahid Babaey
Vahid Babaey
SPSuresh Purini
Suresh Purini
Large language models (LLMs) are emerging as powerful tools for hardware design, with recent work exploring their ability to generate register-transfer level (RTL) code directly from natural-language specifications. This paper presents a critical review and empirical evaluation of LLM-based RTL generation. We examine thirty-one published efforts, classifying their use of techniques such as fine-tuning, reinforcement learning, retrieval-augmented prompting, and multi-agent orchestration across eight methodological dimensions including debugging support, post-RTL metrics, and benchmark development. Building on this synthesis, we experimentally evaluate frontier commercial and open-weight models—GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1-mini, Claude Sonnet 4, and Llama 4 Maverick —on the VerilogEvalV2 and RTLLMv2.0 benchmarks under both single-shot generation and a lightweight ReAct-style reflection loop, with compilation and simulation performed through Icarus Verilog interfaced via the Model Context Protocol (MCP). Results show that these models achieve up to 89.74% on VerilogEval and 96.08% on RTLLM, matching or exceeding prior domain-specific pipelines without specialized fine-tuning. Detailed failure analysis reveals systematic error modes, including FSM mis-sequencing, handshake drift, blocking vs. non-blocking misuse, and state-space oversimplification. Finally, we outline a forward-looking research roadmap toward natural-language-to-System-on-Chip (SoC) design, emphasizing realistic benchmarks and open flows, richer specification formalisms, AI–human collaborative design environments, and system-level feedback that spans physical design, firmware, and design space exploration. Together, this work provides both a synthesis of recent advances and a baseline evaluation of frontier LLMs, highlighting opportunities and challenges in moving toward AI-native electronic design automation.