30 May 2025
Dr. Ankit Garg, Associate Professor in the Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, School of Science at Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University (XJTLU), delivered a keynote lecture titled “AI-Driven Assessment of Biochar’s Role in Improving Water Retention of Unsaturated Soils with Different Grain Sizes” at the prestigious International Symposium on Data-Driven Site Characterization in Geotechnical Engineering Resilience (ISDDSC). During the event, he also highlighted the unique strengths of XJTLU and the innovative academic and research intensive programmes and talented faculty and students found in the School of Science.
As a leading expert in biochar’s environmental applications, Dr. Garg shared insights from his research, which combines biochar amendments with artificial neural networks (ANN) to optimize soil water retention across varying soil textures. His team’s AI-based approach uses machine learning to predict the ideal biochar type and dosage based on soil grain size distribution—a breakthrough with significant implications for sustainable geotechnical design. This research enables engineers to refine eco-friendly landfill covers and slope stabilizers, reducing reliance on traditional, less sustainable materials. Dr. Garg emphasized the transformative potential of AI-driven environmental solutions, aligning with the XJTLU’s mission to merge cutting-edge technology with academic and research excellence to address pressing ecological challenges in China and across the world. In addition, Dr Garg’s also provided glimpse of his other research direction on development of mobile applications and electronic hardware for estimating soil moisture (using image processing) and irrigation, respectively.
The symposium gathered leading researchers and practitioners (including keynote lectures) from Singapore, Japan, China, the UK, and the US, fostering an environment of dynamic discussions on AI and computer vision for monitoring ground infrastructure and marine ecosystems. Attendees explored strategies to develop comprehensive database (including collaboration) as well as bridge theoretical models with real-world applications, sparking collaborations for next-generation environmental innovations.
Dr. Ankit Garg has recently joined the Department of Health and Environmental Sciences, School of Science at XJTLU. He is a globally renowned scholar in the field of Water Remediation and Treatment through the use of Biochar and AI. He is in the process of actively recruiting highly talented Bachelor’s, Masters and PhD students to join his research lab. Students who are interested are welcome to contact him directly at Ankit.Garg@xjtlu.edu.cn
Content：Dr Ankit Garg
Review：Professor John Moraros、Dr Ankit Garg、Liwen Wu
30 May 2025