FSU computer science professor Sambit Bhattacharya, PhD, received a $750,000 award to develop artificial intelligence tools for battle damage assessment for the U.S. Army’s XVIII Airborne Corps at Fort Bragg, with the potential to adapt these tools for broader applications, such as maritime anomaly detection, healthcare and emergency response. 

The team at FSU will use a physics-based simulation platform that generates realistic synthetic data for AI models, improving training accuracy for defense, emergency response and healthcare without relying on real-world trial data. This AI project is one of 13 research projects across 11 institutions in the University of North Carolina system that were included in NCInnovation’s Dec. 8 funding announcement.

The AI research team will create synthetic-imagery tools to train AI systems and support data interpretation when real-world data is limited or sensitive. 

AI models do not yet have a good understanding of how objects behave in the physical world. They can identify the names of an object and the location of an object, but they do not yet understand how objects interact in the physical world. 

This shortcoming impedes AI’s ability to identify whether or not an object with a defect is still usable or pieces of it can be salvaged. The research being done at FSU aims to train the AI in this skill. 

How this would look in application could be, in the defense sector, there may be a need to assess damage to equipment on the battlefield, but the scene is too hazardous for a human to go and evaluate. So you want to understand through AI whether that equipment can be salvaged and exactly how much damage it incurred. With advances in technology, you can send a drone, take pictures and have an AI understand through the pictures whether the equipment can be used or not. That is an example of how this training will have a practical application. 

Success is measured through engagement with stakeholders and subject matter experts from defense, emergency response and health care. They will review AI outputs and provide their expert evaluation on how the AI is doing. Based on their evaluation our team will work to improve the AI models. The long-term goal is for the AI to improve to the point where the need for human supervision dramatically decreases. 

In addition to working with XVIII Airborne innovation leaders, Bhattacharya will collaborate with researchers at UNC Hospitals to leverage this technology to improve the assessment of cancer’s impact on individual patients, enabling more effective treatment plans. The project will support broader regional growth by expanding research, developing workforce skills and connecting local students to careers in emerging technology fields.

The $750,000 in funding will help cover the cost of the research, supporting students, partners and Entrepreneur in Residence Stephen DeLellis as they accompany Dr. Bhattacharya in carrying out this research. 

Fayetteville State University is prioritizing applied innovation, translating research excellence into strategic impact for the region, state and nation. With support from partners like NCInnovation and the military, FSU is addressing critical challenges, empowering students and expanding opportunities that will shape the future of North Carolina and beyond.