Rishe has been a pioneer in several fields of computing:

The Semantic Data Model (SDM) is a high-level semantics-based database description and structuring formalism (database model) for databases. SDM is designed to accurately represent the meaning of an application environment or a specific segment of the real world. An SDM specification defines a database by identifying the entities in the application domain, categorizing them into overlapping classifications, and detailing their structural relationships and interconnections. Facts are typically expressed by binary relations between data elements; higher-order relations are represented as collections of binary relations. Typically, binary relations have the form of triples: Object-RelationType-Object. For example, the Eiffel Tower is-located-in Paris.

Rishe's work on the Semantic Data Model commenced with the software system Language of Textual Information Processing (LOTIP), registered in 1978 with the Israel Institute of Innovation["Language of Textual Information Processing," 1978]. Rishe's early software, papers, and his 1988 and 1992 books facilitated the transformation of the database discipline to semantic modeling " this was deemed esoteric at the time, but twenty years later, post-relational semantic databases have become mainstream as modern complex data problems can no longer be addressed via rigid relational database structures. Presently, the principles of semantic modeling drive the large language models that generate text based on the semantic relationships between objects, a major component of modern.

Rishe's work on semantic databases ranged from mathematical formalization, e.g., in the 1996 paper on the semantics of non-procedural languages ["A Universal Model for Non-procedural Database Languages" 1996] to the enabling of feasible and efficient implementation, e.g., in his 1992 paper on lexicographic compression of numbers ["Interval-based approach to lexicographic representation and compression of numeric data" 1992], which allowed semantic databases to have numeric fields of infinite size and precision, thus making it possible to model the real world without technical constraints of software and hardware.

The NASA 1997 report ["Research and Technology Report, NASA 1997] notes that Rishe's group had developed a "semantic data base engine; adapted SQL (Structured Query Language), which is the standard language for relational databases, to semantic databases; developed is a very large semantic schema (more than 2,000 relations and attributes) for environmental research activities at the South Florida (Everglades) Research Center of the National Park Service."

While the prevailing database design methodology in the 1980s and 1990s was of the bottom-up amelioration of a database schema via normalization, Rishe's books (1988 and 1992) and papers advocated a top-down design, starting with a conceptual semantic schema of the application.

In 1999, Rishe was awarded a patent ["Data Extractor" 1999] for scraping of Web pages: extracting, de-formatting, and re-formatting data strippable from HTML pages, both public and restricted-use pages, using deployed agents acting on behalf of and with the authority of the user.

In 2001, Rishe, in collaboration with NASA, USGS, and IBM, deployed TerraFly as an FIU public service of nationwide maps and aerial imagery. TerraFly is a technology for the fusion, visualization, and querying of geospatial data. The visualization component of the system provides users with the experience of virtual “flight” over maps comprised of aerial and satellite imagery overlaid with geo-referenced data. The system's data drilling and querying component allows users to easily explore geospatial data, create geospatial queries, and get instant answers supported by high-performance multi-dimensional search mechanisms. TerraFly's server farm ingests, geo-locates, cleanses, mosaics, cross-references, and fuses basemap data and user-specific data streams.

Among Rishe's innovations in TerraFly was the ability to navigate smoothly over aerial maps within a web browser, using applets to create an intuitive, flight-like experience. He also developed techniques for overlaying imagery with street maps, aligning street labels accurately with their corresponding streets to improve readability. He introduced a method for visualizing changes over time by morphing imagery captured at different periods. He applied property line cadastre polygons to accurately convert street addresses into geographical coordinates, thus enhancing the geocoding precision.

The Miami-Dade County proclaimed 10/26/2001 as the TerraFly Day ["TerraFly Day," Miami-Dade County, 2001]. On 10/27/2001, The Miami Herald reported, "The TerraFly project has received nearly $30 million in total funding so far, including more than $3 million in data recently donated by the U.S. Geological Survey. Kathryn Clement, deputy director of the USGS, said TerraFly's technology could be used to protect property and save lives from natural disasters or it could be used for environmental resource management." ["Aerial images of U.S. online," Miami Herald, 2001]

Nature Journal reported on 10/31/2001: "Research agencies launch virtual fly-through of US. "With TerraFly, an online marriage between a vast database of aerial and satellite imagery and cutting-edge server technology, you can wing over the mountains of Montana or up the back alleys of the Bronx." ["Research agencies launch virtual fly-through of US," Nature, 2001]

On 11/5/2001, Yahoo selected TerraFly as the top Pick of the Week, noting, "Now you can explore the entire country without ever logging off." ["Yahoo Pick of The Week," 2001]

Science journal reported on 11/9/2001: "TerraFly, a new site for viewing aerial photographs and satellite images. A project of the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and Florida International University, the site lets you type in a U.S. address and get a bird's-eye photo (in black and white), then pan across it, seamlessly moving onto adjacent images. A USGS spokesperson says that compared to TerraServer, a similar site, TerraFly will better satisfy scientists' needs." ["Come Fly With Me," Science (print), 2001] ["Come Fly With Me," Science (Web), 2001]

The Sueddeutsche Zeitung reported on 11/20/2001: "TerraFly -- Passengers receive first-class onboard service: zoomable aerial images, satellite photos, and street maps, some in three-dimensional views." ["Im Netz von Havana nach Washington", The Sueddeutsche Zeitung, 20 November 2001]

On 1/31/2002, Miami Today reported in its banner story about TerraFly: "The project's primary sources of funding are NASA and the National Science Foundation, Dr. Rishe said, each of which kicked in $4 million." ["FIU-realtors pact offers fly-over scans of the nation," Miami Today, 2002]

The Miami Herald, on 4/1/2002, ran a banner story about Rishe and TerraFly, announcing, "Naphtali Rishe's geographic systems made him the winner of our annual Business Plan Challenge." ["A Challenge Met," Miami Herald, 2022]. However, in a follow-up story on 2/10/2003, the Miami Herald noted, "Enthusiasm for funding Internet ventures has definitely waned. But interest in TerraFly has not. The site now has 10,000 visitors a day, up from 2,000 a year ago." ["The Herald's Business Plan Challenge," Miami Herald, 2003]

The New York Times reported on 8/1/2002: "While there are websites that allow users to pull up satellite aerial views, TerraFly, a project of the High Performance Database Research Center at the School of Computer Science at Florida International University, stitches these static images together into a dynamic presentation that feels a little like a video." ["Zoom Out, Then Nosedive," New York Times (print), 2002]["Zoom Out, Then Nosedive," New York Times (web), 2002].

Parade magazine reported on 6/1/2003: "terrafly.com. The available data vary from state to state, but you can look up almost any address, including your own, and often see its assessed value, its size, its owner--even a photo of it from the sky." ["Should You Buy a Home Now," Parade, 2003]

NASA stated in 2004 ["A View from Above Without Leaving the Ground," NASA, 2004]: "In 1996, Goddard Space Flight Center agreed to establish a Regional Applications Center at Florida International University. TerraFly, one of the projects stemming from the collaborative effort, makes it possible for users to fly over" vast areas of land using only an ordinary Web browser." The same 2004 statement noted that TerraFly was funded "with nearly $30 million in funding from NASA, the National Science Foundation, the United States Geological Survey, and private companies such as IBM and Space Imaging."

The Miami Herald banner story on 5/25/2007 about Rishe's exhibition in downtown Miami of Havana geo-located building photography highlighted: "Satellite and street-level photos are combined to help imagine a Cuba of the future." Still, the story expressed concern: "But whether the project will eventually help people reclaim property confiscated under Fidel Castro's regime is uncertain." ["Havana Flyover," Miami Herald, 2007]

The Sun Sentinel banner story on 5/25/2007 about the exhibit noted: "Rishe said the overall aim of the project is to -- possibly lay the groundwork for the restoration of historic buildings in Havana. Many of the colonial structures have peeling paint, missing balconies and other signs of deterioration." The story echoed criticism by some activists that "it could support the Cuban government's contention that exiles, if allowed to reclaim their homes, would kick out the current occupants." ["Eyes in the Sky on Havana," Sun Sentinel, 2007]

NPR aired on 6/7/2007: "Rishe shows how Cuban Americans can find their homes. ... Rishe says the project isn't political. It was intended to be an interactive archive that would document the current architecture of Havana, but which would also allow users to register claims to their former homes." ["Digital Tools Bolster Property Claims Against Cuba," NPR, 2007]

Fox News aired on 7/6/2007: "Terrafly.com was created back in 2001 between Florida International University and NASA. It is a great way for folks via the Internet to see a good chunk of Havana through satellite and ground-level photographs." Fox News lamented, "The Cuban government does not like that site at all." [Fox News, 2007]

Rishe's group introduced an indexing structure for information retrieval, the IR2-Tree, which is used to answer geospatial keyword queries. ["Keyword Search on Spatial Databases," IEEE, 2008]

Heart rate variability (HRV) is the physiological phenomenon of variation in the time interval between heartbeats. In 1999, Evgeny Vaschillo and Rishe patented HRV-based Biofeedback ["Therapeutic Method," 1999]. The team's work has also helped to improve the study and diagnosis of heart and nervous systems disorders["Heart rate variability biofeedback as a method for assessing baroreflex function", 2002]

Since 2009, Rishe has served as Director of the FIU Health Information Technology Initiative [ HIT]. In April 2010, Rishe convened at FIU a national conference and a Coda-Thon Challenge [NHIN CONNECT, 2010] of Nationwide Health Information Network (NHIN) CONNECT, co-sponsored by the American Academy of Family Physicians National Research Network (AAFP NRN).

In 2012, the NSF funded Rishe to convene its first workshop as a think-tank for planning research challenges of the emerging field of Precision Medicine (also called "Personalized Medicine"). The workshop's report ["Personalized Diagnostics & Therapeutics," 2014] "informs the U.S. and other governments seeking to fund high impact research" in Precision Medicine. This workshop, convened in Florence, evolved into a series of international congresses convened in Paris, Prague, and Tel Aviv.

Rishe's group work on interface methods included the inventions of a virtual roundtable, 3D touch fabric, and a touchable triangle for inputting the user's preferences (see under Inventions below) and the 2016 book [Interaction Design for 3D User Interfaces, 2016]

Rishe's group transportation inventions included a VR/AR remote control center for an autonomous vehicle fleet to handle emergencies and interact with the passengers and with drivers and pedestrians outside the vehicle. ["Remote Control and Concierge Service for an Autonomous Transit Vehicle Fleet", 2018]

Rishe has developed and deployed systems for translating data feeds into actionable information. During incoming hurricanes, data is digested to inform the public with geographic specificity. [Hurricanes Idalia 2023, Helene 2024, Milton 2024]

Before heading to the beach, swimmers can see warning flags [Beach Conditions Beach.fiu.edu] ["Beach and weather conditions for Miami Beach," Miami Herald 6/26/2015].

Rishe's algorithm is used in the daily evaluation of closed-ended funds to identify those whose performance expectation is better than that of the securities they hold [Closed-ended Mutual Fund Ranking (CEFA)].