Dr. Bartos' research focuses on building a new generation of smart stormwater systems. These systems use real-time sensing and control to deliver improved performance and mitigate water hazards. Major areas of interest include urban flood mitigation; sensing and control of urban water quality; digital twin models for water infrastructure; and coupled operation of interdependent water, power and transportation systems.

His research focuses on developing the next generation of smart urban water systems. Ongoing applications include a real-time flood monitoring network in the Dallas–Fort Worth metroplex, and a pilot stormwater control network in the City of Ann Arbor. He also develops new algorithms for data assimilation, event detection, and sensor/controller placement. When he's not doing research, he likes to write scientific software. He is a lead developer on a number of open-source libraries.