IBM Research | Brazil

Dr. Ulisses Mello

Dr. Ulisses Mello is director of IBM Research - Brazil. In this position, he directs the operations, technical agenda and strategy of the lab, which is part of a network of IBM Research Labs around the globe. His top priorities are to stimulate innovation in key areas of information technology applied to industries and quickly bring those innovations to the marketplace to sustain and grow IBM’s businesses while applying these innovations to help IBM clients succeed.

He is an IBM Distinguished Engineer and leads the IBM Research Natural Resource Division. Dr. Mello joined IBM Research more than 20 years ago and has held a series of management and technical positions within the company.

Dr. Mello has published more than 70 scientific papers and has received 16 patents in the fields of computational geosciences, numerical modeling of geological processes, hydrogeology and optimization of natural resources. He earned his undergraduate degree in geology from University of São Paulo in 1983, his MS in Geology from Federal University of Ouro Preto in 1987, and his PhD in Geology in 1994. In 1998, he received the Wallace Pratt Award from the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG). He is a member of the IBM Academy of Technology, IBM Industry Academy and New York Academy of Sciences.

Digital agrictulture solutions

Digital agriculture solutions use technologies such as the Internet-of-things (Iot) and articificial intelligence (AI) to help farmers better manage crops and more efficiently bring fresh produce to our tables. At IBM Research – Brazil, we are developing solutions to address a variety of agriculture industry challenges, from streamlining the production and usage of seeds and fertilizers to better understanding plant genetics, and improving farm management and product distribution.

Digital agriculture projects in development include:

• Precision agriculture: applying advances in data science, AI, IoT and forecasting from The Weather Company -- an IBM Business -- to improve farming techniques, preserve natural resources and optimize crop output.
• Computer vision on the farm: using advances in AI and cognitive computing to collect, recognize, analyze and interpret images to better understand crop health and growth.
• Field analysis: platforms and solutions for conducting customized tests on a range of factors impacting agribusiness such as soil composition, water quality, machine functionality and irrigation.
• Information for producers: a solution using the power of Watson to simplify access to information critical for successful agriculture producers -- from weather patterns and pest control to seed variation and government regulation. This project involves collecting and cataloging public information about agriculture production and making it easily accessible and searchable.

Nanotechnology - From atoms to applications

Some of business and society’s greatest challenges are rooted in behaviors happening at the nanoscale. Nanoscience is the study of atoms, molecules and objects.

Industrial nanoscience and nanotechnology research in Brazil brings together physicists, engineers and computer scientists to explore new materials, technologies and processes for industrial-scale applications. These experts also collaborate with local universities, government institutions and partners, with a focus on exploring nanoscience and nanotechnology to develop new applications for the oil and gas, agriculture and health care industries.

Advancing natural language processing

The Social Cognitive Technologies group of IBM Research - Brazil focuses on technologies and applications based on the analysis of human-related data. Our mission is to realize the potential of human/social data in businesses and society.

Our approach is to investigate and develop technologies based both on personal data, such as social media posts, and on social data, such as the network of friends, news articles and dialogue systems.

Conversational cognitive agents, or chatbots, are autonomous agents that use natural language to communicate with a human or other chabots to exchange information about a common topic. At IBM Research – Brazil, we are conducting research and developing new methods and tools to advance the state-of-the-art on chatbots that can interact using natural language in a multi-party, mixed-initiative conversation. The chatbots are enhanced with information extracted from social media networks and news websites. For example, a chatbot that serves as an investment adviser can exchange information about Brazilian finance in Portuguese and can also offer financial advise using natural language.

Oil and gas exploration

Advances in AI and cognitive computing are enabling new methods and approaches to oil and gas exploration and business processes, from improving seismic imaging to transforming industry processes and decision-making. Related IBM Research – Brazil projects in development include:

• Information extractor: a solution for collecting and extracting large volumes of data from technical and business content to simplify and improve access to critical information.
• Seismic interpretation: The use of AI and cognitive computing to analyze seismic images, recognize patterns and determine geological risk.
• Project advisor: The use of AI and cognitive computing to encourage more informed operations in the process flow for oil and gas extraction.