Prof. Qihao WENG, Director of the Research Centre for Artificial Intelligence in Geomatics (RCAIG) and Chair Professor of Geomatics and Artificial Intelligence in the Department of Land Surveying and Geospatial Science (LSGS) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), delivered a prestigious Plenary Address at the International Conference on Remote Sensing and Geoinformation (RESG2026), held from 15 to 18 October 2026 in Beijing, China. Invited as a plenary speaker, Prof. WENG presented a talk titled “Next-Generation GeoAI and Urban Remote Sensing: Unifying Visual-Spatial Intelligence and Urban AI Security for Sustainable Cities.”
Prof. WENG’s plenary presentation focused on the emerging convergence of Geospatial Artificial Intelligence (GeoAI), Urban Remote Sensing, Visual-Spatial Intelligence, and Urban AI Security. During his address, he examined how next-generation GeoAI technologies are reshaping the interpretation and utilization of Earth observation data, providing innovative approaches to urban environmental monitoring and sustainable development. He also underscored the critical importance of Urban AI Security as modern cities become increasingly reliant on AI-driven technologies and geospatial data infrastructures.
In addition to Prof. WENG's plenary address, Dr. Kalingga Titon Nur IHSAN, a member of the Jockey Club STEM Lab of Earth Observations and RCAIG at LSGS, presented his research paper, titled “Geostationary Satellite-Based Monitoring and Optimization of Rooftop-Facade Ratio for Building-Integrated Photovoltaic System.” His study demonstrated how geostationary satellite observations can support the monitoring of urban environments and optimize urban configurations for building-integrated renewable energy, highlighting LSGS's leadership in sustainable energy research.
Prof. WENG’s plenary address reflects his long-standing, research contributions to remote sensing and geospatial artificial intelligence. His work focuses on remote sensing and GeoAI applications to urban environmental and ecological systems, urbanization impacts, urban climate, and sustainability. Through the integration of Earth observation, spatial analytics, and artificial intelligence, his research has advanced scientific understanding of global urban processes and environmental change.
Prof. WENG currently serves as Chair Professor of Geomatics and Artificial Intelligence and Global STEM Scholar at PolyU, where he directs both RCAIG and the Jockey Club STEM Lab of Earth Observations. Prior to joining PolyU, he served as Director of the Centre for Urban and Environmental Change and as Professor of Geography at Indiana State University in the United States from 2001 to 2021.
Prof. WENG is a Foreign Member of Academia Europaea and an elected Fellow of the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the American Association of Geographers (AAG), the International Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ISPRS), and the American Society for Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (ASPRS). An internationally recognised scholar in remote sensing and GeoAI, he is also Editor-in-Chief of the ISPRS Journal of Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing and Lead of GEO’s Global Urban Observation and Information Initiative.
His distinguished career has been recognised through numerous international honours, including the NASA Senior Fellowship, the AAG Distinguished Scholarship Honors Award, the Taylor & Francis Lifetime Achievement Award, the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellowship, the AAG Wilbanks Prize for Transformational Research, and the AAG Remote Sensing Specialty Group Lifetime Achievement Award. In 2021, he was awarded a Global STEM Professorship by the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government.
According to his conference profile, Prof. Weng has authored 340 journal articles, 16 books, and five conference proceedings, with more than 43,500 citations and an H-index of 96 on Google Scholar.
Prof. WENG’s participation as a plenary speaker at RESG2026 reflects LSGS and RCAIG’s ongoing commitment to advancing research and international collaboration in geospatial artificial intelligence, Earth observation, and remote sensing. Through research initiatives, infrastructure, partnerships, and education and training, LSGS and RCAIG continue to support the development of GeoAI and its applications in addressing urban, environmental, and societal challenges.
