Prof. Parthasarathy Subashini

Professor at the Avinashilingam University India

Biography:  Parthasarathy Subashini received a B.Sc (Mathematics) degree from Gobi Arts College, Bharathiar University, TamilNadu, India in 1990 and M.CA degree from the same in 1993. She has also received qualified degree of M.Phil and Ph.D respectively in Computer Science in year 1998 and 2009 from Avinashilingam University for Women, Tamil Nadu, India. From 1994 to 2007, she worked in the Computer Science Department of Avinashilingam University, where she is currently a Professor. She has also held few short-term appointments at several institutions around the state. Professor Subashini’s research has spanned a large number of disciplines like Image analysis, Pattern recognition, Neural networks, and Computational Intelligence. Concurrently, she contributed to several fields of mathematics, especially Nature inspired computing. She has authored or co-authored 1 Book, 4 Book chapters, 1 Monograph, 145 papers, including IEEE, Springer’s in various international, national journals and conferences. In course of her research and teaching, Professor Subashini has mentored over a hundred of post graduate students and guiding several doctoral students. She has held positions as reviewer, chairpersons among different peer reviewed journals. Under her supervision, she has ten research projects of worth more than 2.3 crores from various funding agencies like Defence Research and Development Organization, Department of Science and Technology, SERB and University Grants Commission. She has visited many countries like Singapore, Malaysia, Dubai, France, Switzerland, Italy, Canada, Germany, Spain, Czech Republic, Rome and China for various knowledge sharing events. As a member of IEEE, IEEE Computational Intelligence Society and IEEE Computer Society of India, She extended her contribution as IEEE Chair for Women in Computing under IEEE Computer Society of India Council in the year 2015-2016. To add up her credit, recently she has contributed a Nature Inspired Optimization algorithm called ‘Synergistic Fibroblast Optimization(SFO)’. The codes and published articles are publicly available for the perusal of the Research community in MATLAB central, Researchgate and Adademia.edu. .

Title : INCLUSIVE SMART CITY FOR SPECIALLY ABLED PEOPLE

The concept of a smart city itself is still emerging, and the work of defining and conceptualizing it is in progress. The concept is used all over the world with different nomenclatures, context and meanings  stressing the need for public and private stakeholders to put the citizen at the heart of any Smart City project where citizens, which are the inhabitants of the intelligent cities become agents of change, fully aware of the city challenges and play a qualified role in the civic network, characterized by participation, civic engagement, territorial commitment and the will of sharing knowledge of creativity. The challenges in the cities and societies are mostly related to the fact that disability causes specific barriers, such as limitations of mobility, visual and hearing impairments and a high disease susceptibility. ICT solution implemented in the cities can help overcome mobility, visual and cognitive movements. Innovations in areas such as remote sensors, embedded systems, robotics or wireless mobile networks provide building blocks for intelligent ambient systems that can support specially abled people and allow them to move around the city without any assistance. The current market tends to expand products designed to serve large portions of the population, providing tools, objects, and furnishings with a design that meets the requirements or needs of people with or without disabilities. Regarding that perspective there has been an increase in the variability of these products marketed to the most diverse purposes, including for daily life activities.
Assistive technologies are a key tool to any physically challenged person when checking their ability towards accessibility. Understanding of these technologies goes hand in hand with understanding the requirements of their accessibility also. Assistive technology can be defined as “any item, piece of equipment, or product system, whether acquired commercially or off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities”. Assistive Technology includes assistive, adaptive and rehabilitation devices for people with disabilities. Especially, the ability to communicate is fundamental to a basic quality of life, yet for many people effective communication is difficult because of a physical impairment, language disorder or learning disability. The proposed topic is towards various assistive technology systems that facilitate people who face just such challenges.
Assistive Technology Service includes any service that directly assists an individual with a disability in the selection, acquisition, or use of an assistive technology device, including Evaluation, Providing Devices, Selecting, Customizing, Adapting, Applying AT solutions, Coordinating AT with other providers’ services, Training and Technical Assistance - Individual and Family and to professionals like special educators. The use of ATs can improve the physical and social functioning of persons with disabilities and elderly people. The proposed key note speech describes about various opportunities and challenges related to “Inclusive smart city”, expanding the possibilities for persons with special needs in the urban space.