Muhammad Haris Kaka Khel

Muhammad Haris Kaka Khel is a part-time lecturer at Atlantic Technological University's Department of Computing in Ireland while pursuing his Ph.D. in pedestrian trajectory prediction. His research focuses on developing adaptive systems that analyze human behavior, social interactions, and environmental dynamics to forecast multiple possible pedestrian paths using the PATHS framework. He works under supervisors Dr. Kevin Meehan and Dr. Paul Greaney at ATU Donegal, with additional guidance from Dr. Marion McAfee (ATU Sligo) and Dr. Sandra Moffet (Ulster University).

• B.S. in Electrical Engineering (Communication specialization) from UET Peshawar, Pakistan (2019)
• Research master's at University of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia (completed 2022) with Erasmus exchange experience at Politecnico di Torino, Italy
• Ph.D. candidate at Atlantic Technological University (expected completion 2026)

Research Interests

Khel's work addresses critical gaps in pedestrian trajectory prediction by modeling multiple possible paths rather than single deterministic outcomes. This approach enhances robustness in dynamic environments like urban streets and public spaces, with applications in:

• Autonomous vehicle navigation safety
• Urban planning and walkability improvements
• Event crowd management systems
• Smart surveillance for anomaly detection
• Accessible navigation for visually impaired
• Public transportation optimization

Teaching & Collaboration

As a part-time lecturer at ATU Donegal, he contributes to computing education while maintaining external collaborations including:

• Sponsored research with Saudi Arabia's Deputyship for Research and Innovation
• Graduate research assistant role at University Kuala Lumpur-British Malaysian Institute
• Former intern at Center of Intelligent Systems and Networks Research