Prof. Gang-Ding Peng
Photonic Fibres in AI Era and Beyond: Challenges and Opportunities
The University of New South Wales, Australia
Abstract
Photonic fibres have played their great roles across diverse industrial applications, ranging from telecommunications, sensing, materials processing and manufacturing. The recent rapid advances in artificial intelligence (AI) and computing technologies have created great demand for both new photonic fibres delivering unprecedented low latency, high power efficiency, and massive bandwidth scalability and new fibre sensing technologies delivering real-time physical signals across extended and distributed fibre cables / networks, for large-scale generative AIs. On the other hand, advanced AI technologies could substantially facilitate new design and manufacture paradigms for time- and cost- effective photonic fibre research, development and application. In this talk, I will discuss the challenges and opportunities of photonic fibres in the AI-era and beyond, from the perspectives how photonic fibre transmission and sensing networks would benefit from the AI growth and be integrated as the ‘central nervous system’ of future global AI infrastructures.
Biography
Gang Ding Peng received the B.Sc. degree in physics from Fudan University, Shanghai, China, in 1982, and the M.Sc degree in applied physics and the Ph.D. degree in electronic engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, in 1984 and 1987, respectively. From 1987 through 1988 he was a lecturer at Jiao Tong University. He was a postdoctoral research fellow in the Optical Sciences Centre of the Australian National University, Canberra, from 1988-1991. He has been working with University of NSW in Sydney, Australia since 1991, was a Queen Elizabeth II Fellow from 1992-1996 and is currently a professor in the same university. He is a fellow and life member of both OSA and SPIE. His research interests include optical fibres and devices, optical waveguides and devices, optical fibre sensors and nonlinear optics.
Prof. Sarun Sumriddetchkajorn
Simplified Photonics for Agriculture: From Users' Needs to Practical Solutions
National Electronics and Computer Technology Center, Thailand
Abstract
The integration of photonics and digital technologies is accelerating the transition toward Agriculture 5.0 by enabling intelligent, data-driven, and green farming systems. This presentation highlights the role of photonic sensing in agriculture, demonstrating how user-driven needs can be translated into practical sensing solutions. Through case studies in soil nutrient estimation, rice cultivation, fruit quality assessment, sericulture, and shrimp farming, we identify key pain points and discuss the development of cost-effective and scalable photonic sensing prototypes that address real-world needs. Finally, we introduce shortly the emerging concept of integrating optical plasmonic sensing with quantum technologies, which offers possible new opportunities for developing next-generation photonic sensing systems with enhanced sensitivity and functionality for future agricultural applications.
Biography
Dr. Sumriddetchkajorn received his B.Eng in Electrical Engineering (Honors) in 1994 from Khon Kaen University, Thailand. In 1996, he was awarded a Thai government scholarship and then earned his M.S. (1998) and Ph.D. (2000) in Optical Science and Engineering from the University of Central Florida, USA. From 1994-1996, he was with Electro-Optics Lab at the National Electronics and Computer Technology Center (NECTEC) under the National Science and Technology Development Agency (NSTDA), Thailand, responsible for embossed hologram processing and computer-generated holograms. Since 2001, he had rejoined NECTEC where he focused on solving technical issues related to agriculture, public health, security, and industry with optics and photonics. He also played leadership roles as Lab Director, Research Unit Director, Deputy Executive Director of NECTEC, Executive Director of NECTEC, and Acting Executive Vice President of NSTDA. He is now an independent advisor as well as an advisor for NECTEC in photonics and quantum technology research.
He had also been a Board Member of Thailand’s Digital Economy Promotion Agency. In addition, he was a Member of the Advisory Committee for Thailand’s National Security Council on Science, Technology, and Digital and Chair of ASEAN Committee on Science and Technology’s Subcommittee on Information and Technology. He received the 2003 Young Technologist Award and the 2004 Young Scientist Award from the Foundation for the Promotion of Science and Technology under the Patronage of H. M. the King of Thailand. In addition, he was awarded the 2005 ICO/ICTP Award (a.k.a. ICO Gallieno Denardo Award) from the International Commission for Optics (ICO) and the ICTP. In 2002, he initiated the formation of the SPIE, OPTICA, and IPS Thailand Chapters. He is currently a Senior Member of IEEE. He is also a Fellow of SPIE and OPTICA.