About Me
I am Nayan Bhatia, a PhD candidate in Computer Science & Engineering at UC Santa Cruz, where I work in the Inter-Networking Research Group (i-NRG Lab) under Prof. Katia Obraczka. My research pushes the boundaries of what WiFi can sense from indoor localization to contactless health monitoring by treating wireless telemetry like a new language for AI systems.
I also lead development of the UC Basic Needs Platform and the UC Essential Needs Navigator, tools that support over 300,000 UC students by connecting them to food, housing, and financial aid resources. My work blends research, engineering, and social impact — building systems that are both technically rigorous and practically transformative.
Research & Projects
- WiFiGPT: LLM-based indoor localization from WiFi telemetry (CSI, RSSI, FTM), achieving centimeter-level precision.
- Pulse-Fi: Contactless vital signs monitoring with ESP32 & Raspberry Pi, featured in UC News, CNET, Tom’s Hardware, and Yahoo Tech.
- UC Essential Needs Navigator: AI-powered search assistant for UC students, providing natural-language access to basic needs resources.
Technical Skills
Programming: Python, SQL, C/C++, Java, Solidity
ML/AI: PyTorch, TensorFlow, scikit-learn, NumPy/Pandas
Web: Node.js, React, Express, Django, Flask
Infra: Docker, Kubernetes, CI/CD (GitHub Actions, Jenkins), AWS, GCP
Specialties: WiFi sensing, edge AI, MLOps, wireless emulation
Recognition & Leadership
- CITRIS Smart Health Masterclass (2025) — AI in healthcare innovation
- Young Gladiators NSF/DARPA Colosseum Training — large-scale wireless emulation
- Biodiversity Seed & Agroecology Fellowship — $11K award for UC Basic Needs platform
- SIP Mentor — guided interns on WiFi-based ML, reaching ~95% test accuracy