Jonathan Li

Jonathan Li is a full professor at the University of Waterloo, holding dual appointments in the Department of Geography and Environmental Management and the Department of Systems Design Engineering. His expertise lies in geospatial data science and artificial intelligence, focusing on urban remote sensing, LiDAR point cloud processing, and applications in digital twin cities and autonomous vehicles. He leads research in GeoAI for multi-scale mapping, 3D urban modeling, and environmental monitoring. Dr. Li is a Fellow of multiple prestigious institutions including IEEE, Royal Society of Canada, and Canadian Academy of Engineering. He currently serves as President of the Canadian Institute of Geomatics (CIG) and Editor-in-Chief of the International Journal of Applied Earth Observation and Geoinformation (JAG). His work bridges academic research with practical applications in infrastructure inspection, disaster management, and geospatial software development.

Research Interests: Urban remote sensing using multispectral, hyperspectral, and LiDAR data; machine learning for geospatial analysis; GeoAI for environmental monitoring; 3D object detection in mobile mapping systems. His lab focuses on developing innovative software tools for HD mapping and geospatial data analysis.

• Recent Publications: Over 50 articles in journals like Remote Sensing of Environment, IEEE Transactions on Geoscience and Remote Sensing, and ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry.
• Awards: Multiple fellowships and editorial roles reflect his leadership in geomatics and remote sensing.
• Grants: Extensive funding for research in AI-driven geospatial solutions.

Lab Activities: Prof. Li's research group collaborates with industry on projects involving autonomous vehicle mapping, urban flood modeling, and smart city infrastructure. Their work emphasizes cross-disciplinary collaboration between geomatics, computer science, and civil engineering.