About US

OUR STORY

Our story begins with the nationally recognized research conducted by of our founder, Dr. Alper Yilmaz. Alper is a professor of Geo-Informatics with appointments in Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering; Computer Science; and an honorary appointment to the College of Medicine at The Ohio State University. Ever since Alper defended his PhD dissertation, titled “Object Tracking and Activity Recognition in Video Acquired Using Mobile Cameras”, in 2004, he has been considered an expert in determining position, movement and interaction of objects in 3-dimensional space. The Department of Defense, National Geospatial Agency, NASA, and industry partners have provided over $11 million in funding to Dr. Yilmaz over the last decade. Most of this research has involved accurately determining how objects move and interact with each other without the use of GPS or other RF location technologies.

Dr. Yilmaz’s work for NASA was particularly exciting, as he and his colleagues were tasked with providing future astronauts with the means to accurately navigate the moon (or someday, Mars) where there is no GPS to guide them. Dr. Yilmaz invented a solution that uses artificially intelligent tracking tags and visual based navigation to successfully address NASA’s research challenge. Dr. Yilmaz was granted a patent for this NASA innovation. Determined that this space-based invention had commercial value here on Earth, Alper founded Ubihere. The company officially launched in 2018 when Ohio State exclusively licensed the patent to the company. Since its founding, Ubihere has attracted a team of highly experienced entrepreneurs, engineers, and experts committed to developing solutions around Alper’s research. The company is supported by dedicated partners such as Rev1 Ventures and the state of Ohio.

Since 2018, Ubihere has attracted several million dollars in venture capital funding and commercialization grants. The company has been awarded multiple Phase I and Phase II Air Force research and development contracts, and has successfully completed multiple customer-centric pilots for both Ubitrax and Ubivision. We are excited to be on the verge of commercially launching both product lines soon! Join us!

Our Team

Eric Wagner

CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER

Eric is the Chief Executive Officer and head of Government Programs for Ubihere. Prior to joining Ubihere, he worked at Ohio State University where he oversaw commercialization of new innovations and supported the successful launch of over 22 successful technology start-ups. Eric has a B.S. in Computer Science (with honors) and Executive MBA (salutatorian) from The Ohio State University.

Dr. Alper Yilmaz

FOUNDER & CTO

Dr. Yilmaz is a Professor of GeoInformatics with appointments in Civil, Environmental and Geodetic Engineering and Computer Science and Engineering. He leads the nationally recognized Photogrammetric Computer Vision Lab at OSU (https://u.osu.edu/pcvlab/). He was awarded the Outstanding Service Award in 2022 by the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing, and OSU’s Innovator of Year award in 2020. Dr. Yilmaz has published over 180 journal and conference papers, and is listed among the top 2% most cited researchers in the fields of “Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing” and “Geological & Geomatics Engineering” Article

Michael Karnes

SENIOR SOFTWARE ENGINEER

As CTO of Ubihere, Michael Karnes leads the development of AI-driven geospatial solutions for real-time tracking and situational awareness. With expertise in AI, computer vision, and embedded systems, he drives innovation in localization and asset tracking across logistics, defense, and smart infrastructure.
Previously, he developed edge-based multi-modal rapid learning AI for the U.S. Air Force, enhancing autonomous navigation and intelligence. At Ubihere, he has successfully led $5M+ in SBIR grants, advancing AI-driven situational awareness and edge computing for both military and commercial applications.

Jacob Fain

Software Engineer

Jacob is a software engineering intern at Ubihere, working on the Ubivision project to enhance tracking and performance through innovative computer vision solutions. He’s completing his Computer Science Bachelor’s at Capital University and presides over its ACM Chapter, leading educational events on Computer Science. Jacob is keen on machine learning, computer vision, and database systems.

Noah Mun

COMPUTER VISION AND MACHINE LEARNING ENGINEER

Noah is a Computer Vision and Machine Learning Engineer at Ubihere. He attended the University of Maryland, graduating with a B.S. in Computer Engineering in 2020, and moved to Columbus to work on various projects combining image processing with neural networks in order to create a verification process for integrated circuits. Now at Ubihere, he hopes to continue on his journey of exploring the space of AI and Machine Learning and using them to create unique and innovative AI powered solutions to modern problems.

J.D. Bourke

PROGRAM MANAGER

J.D. is a Project Manager at Ubihere and is currently working on Ubitrax, the company’s product line of software and hardware-based tag tracking solutions. J.D has led the deployment of asset tracking systems to partners and customers including Deloitte & Touche LLP, the U.S Air Force and the U.S. Army. J.D. has a Masters Degree in Translational Data Analytics and a Bachelor’s Degree in accounting from The Ohio State University, and he previously worked as an Assurance Manager and CPA at Ernst & Young LLC.

Kyle Henderson

SOFTWARE ENGINEER

Kyle is the Ubitrax lead software engineer and is leading a team to develop embedded, communication, and application-level software in support of Ubihere’s suite of modular tracking tags. Kyle is responsible for ensuring that the Ubitrax solution offers customers a low-cost, easy to implement, and low-overhead solution for tracking, sensing, and monitoring their assets and equipment. Prior to Ubihere, Kyle led automation and development efforts at various organizations. Kyle has a Bachelor Degree in Computer Science from The Ohio State University.

Ishaan Laroia

EMBEDDED SOFTWARE ENIGNEER

Ishaan is an Embedded Software Engineer at Ubihere. An alumnus of Purdue University with a Bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering, he works as a part of the Ubitrax team. His efforts center on creating innovative, low-power, and long-lasting software solutions for the Ubitrax indoor tracking tags. Before joining Ubihere, Ishaan gained experience in cloud computing, focusing on the deployment of infrastructure at Dun & Bradstreet.

Jake Riffel

COMPUTER VISION ENGINEER

Jake is a computer vision and machine learning fellow who is currently leading the UbiVisNav project at Ubihere. Jake is responsible for the primary development of the UbiVisNav project, which is working to develop methods to track objects using only images from a camera stream. Previously, Jake worked on the implementation of AI models within mobile devices and developed tools to improve specialized machine learning model training. Jake finished his Master’s Degree in Computer Science Engineering at The Ohio State University.

David Harden

Software Engineer
Intern

David is a Software Engineer Intern at Ubihere, actively working on the UbiVisNav project. He holds an associate degree in Software Development from Columbus State Community College and is completing his Bachelor’s in Information Systems at Franklin University. David is focused on computer vision and machine learning, contributing to the development of methods for object tracking through camera stream images.

Nicholas Tylka

Software Engineer
Intern

Nick is a software engineer intern at Ubihere. He contributes to AI-powered computer vision solutions. Nick attends The Ohio State University and is pursuing a degree in Computer Science with a specialization in software engineering. Nick also served as an Army Ranger at 2nd Ranger Battalion, of the 75th Ranger Regiment.ages.

Shagnik Sarkar

Software Engineer
Intern

Shagnik is a software engineering intern at Ubihere helping with tasks related to Ubihere’s servers and databases, setting up hardware, researching and exploring new technologies, and visualizing data. Shagnik is pursuing a major in computer science at The Ohio State University.

Kyle Kauffman

Software Engineer
Intern

Kyle is an intern and a software developer on the Ubivision project. He is also a drone pilot for Ubihere, and the developer of User Interfaces for various projects at Ubihere. Kyle is currently working on getting his B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering from The Ohio State University.

Eve Myadze-Pike

COMPUTER VISION ENGINEER

Eve is a computer vision and machine learning engineer at Ubihere. She contributes to the development of custom AI-powered solutions and cutting edge software, leveraging her skills in computer programming and deep learning. Eve attended the Ohio State University, where she studied Computer Science and Engineering, with a specialization in artificial intelligence. Eve continues to collaborate with Dr. Alper Yilmaz’s Photogrammetric Computer Vision Laboratory at OSU, where her research centers on harnessing computer vision and machine learning algorithms for disaster risk reduction. Her technical skills have been enriched by her experience working as a Department of Defense contractor, in collaboration with the Air Force Research Laboratory.

Michael Popov

Software Engineer
Intern

Michael is a Software Engineer Intern at Ubihere. Michael is on the Ubivision Camera Network team, which is using computer vision and artificial intelligence to analyze and process detections. He is eager to continue navigating the fields of computer vision and artificial intelligence and using them to create innovative solutions. Michael is a third-year student at the Ohio State University, majoring in Computer Information Science with a specialization in Software Engineering.