Abstract: Networks in mammalian brains are mainly of a spiking nature so that the manner in which such networks learn are of great philosophical, scientific and engineering interest. Thus several years ago, we developed the first O(n^3) gradient descent learning algorithm for recurrent networks using the spiking and random behaviour of biological neuronal cells. In this presentation we will details how these dense structures can be exploited in deep learning and how they can achieve significantly better performance than standard models. The presentation will be illustrated with numerous practical examples.

Abstract: The state of the art VR/AR devices provide access to completely virtual environments or augment information on the existing world seen by the user. Wearable devices encumber the users, and sometimes even cut them off completely from the real world. Users interact with digital avatars instead of the real people themselves. Spatially augmented reality (SAR) instead focuses on illuminating physical spaces with one or more projectors which when observed by one or more cameras can enable unique interaction modalities between the physical space and multiple users without being encumbered by any wearable device. This talk will present a new SAR paradigm of ubiquitous displays where displays are not mere carriers of information, but active members of the workspace interacting with data, user, environment and other displays. The goal is to integrate such active displays seamlessly with the environment making them ubiquitous to multiple users and data. This talk will present the overview of decade long research at UCI that has been instrumental in making ubiquitous displays accessible and affordable. Such ubiquitous displays are already gaining traction as projected augmented reality and promise to be a critical component of the future collaborative workspace.

Abstract: In the family of video coding standards, HEVC has the promise and potential to replace/supplement all the existing standards (MPEG and H.26x series including H.264/AVC). While the complexity of the HEVC encoder is several times that of the H.264/AVC, the decoder complexity is within the range of the latter. Researchers are exploring about reducing the HEVC encoder complexity . Kim et al have shown that motion estimation (ME) occupies 77-81% of HEVC encoder implementation. Hence the focus has been in reducing the ME complexity. Several researchers have implemented performance comparison of HEVC with other standards such as H.264/AVC , MPEG-4 Part 2 visual, H.262/PEG-2 Video , H.263, and VP9, THOR, DAALA and also with image coding standards such as JPEG, JPEG2000, JPEG-LS, JPEG-XT and JPEG-XR. Several tests have shown that HEVC provides improved compression efficiency up to 50% bit rate reduction for the same subjective video quality compared to H.264/AVC. Besides addressing all current applications, HEVC is designed and developed to focus on two key issues: increased video resolution - up to 8kx4k - and increased use of parallel processing architecture. Brief description of the HEVC is provided. However for details and implementation, the reader is referred to the JCT-VC documents , overview papers , keynote speeches , tutorials , panel discussions , poster sessions , special issues , test models (TM/HM) , web/ftp site, open source software , software manuals, test sequences, anchor bit streams and the latest books on HEVC . Also researchers are exploring transcoding between HEVC and other standards such as MPEG-2 and H.264. Further extensions to HEVC are scalable video coding (SVC), 3D video/multiview video coding and range extensions which include screen content coding (SCC), bit depths larger than 10 bits and color sampling of 4:2:2 and 4:4:4. SCC in general refers to computer generated objects and screen shots from computer applications (both images and videos) and may require lossless coding. Some of these extensions have been finalized by the end of 2014 (time frame for SCC is late 2016). They also provide fertile ground for R & D. Iguchi et al have already developed a hardware encoder for super hi-vision (SHV) i.e., ultra HDTV at 7680x4320 pixel resolution. Also real-time hardware implementation of HEVC encoder for 1080p HD video has been done. NHK is planning SHV experimental broadcasting in 2016. A 249-Mpixel/s HEVC video decoder chip for 4k Ultra-HD applications has already been developed. Bross et al have shown that real time software decoding of 4K (3840x2160) video with HEVC is feasible on current desktop CPUs using four CPU cores. They also state that encoding 4K video in real time on the other hand is a challenge.

Abstract: The DOME MicroDataCenter technology, developed by IBM Zurich Research and ASTRON Netherlands Institute for Radio Astronomy, brings together the embedded and data-center computing technologies resulting in the densest general purpose computing capability with best energy-efficiency. My presentation will cover how this project went from an initial idea and obtaining funding to a small dedicated team building innovative hard and software. I will explain how we used first principles in physics to motivate our decisions, a few practical technical obstacles we needed to overcome and key lessons we learnt along the way. Our result, which we are currently bringing to market thru a startup company, addresses the needs of edge-computing for the Internet of Things, a opportunity that we did not foresee when we started the project 5 years ago. I will close with a technology roadmap.

1. Enhancing Routing Efficiency Using Agents, Dr. M A Rizvi, National Institute of Technical Teachers' Training and Research, Bhopal
2. Real Time Smart Sensing Systems: Challenges and Opportunities, Dr. Geetika Srivastava, Amity University Uttar Pradesh
3. Image fusion an answer to Minimally Invasive surgeries, Dr. Tripty Singh, Amrita University
4. Resource Allocation in Cloud using Agriculture Concept, Dr. Madhumathi, Sri Ramakrishna Engineering College
5. Passive Optical Networks (PON) for Remote Area, Dr. S. Mary Praveena, Sri Ramakrishna Institute of Technology, Coimbatore
6. Defining Multi-Word Expressions in Healthcare Sector, Srishti Singh, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
7. Improved Quad split Decision Tree Algorithm, Shubha Puthran, NMIMS University
8. Protein Sciences: Revealing the Secrets of Life, Sandhya Parasnath Dubey, Manipal University, Manipal
9. MQTT-SN for the Tiny Devices, Prof. Smitha N Pai, Manipal University
10. Mass personalization Using Machine Learning, Abhishek S N, [24] 7 Inc
11. Design of Wireless Sensor Network Based Attendance System for Smart University, Salma Fauzia, Muffakham Jah College Of Engineering and Technology
12. Soft Case-based Reasoning: Retrieval and Adaptation, Nabanita Choudhury, Assam University, Silchar
13. Linked data, Prof. Manjula Shenoy K, Manipal Institute of Technology, Manipal University
14. Towards 5G network slicing: Key concepts and applications, Prof. Zoran Bojkovic, University of Belgrade

Abstract: Diabetes Mellitus is a public health problem affecting 65 million people in India with another 21 million people probably being in the prediabetic stage. The healthcare infrastructure for diabetes care in India, especially for the middle and low income population is extremely fragmented. With accessibility, availability and affordability being the issues of optimal healthcare today, there is an acute need for proactive low cost intelligent systems for diabetes care. The present smart solution being developed involves a totally indigenous, automated insulin pump that is a dual micro-controller based compact programmable drug infusion system. This US patented cost-effective system could be highly effective for administering insulin therapy, which is the gold standard for diabetes care. The smart solution also comprises a unique and cost-effective, US patented non-enzymatic glucose monitoring system which involves a glucometer, connected devices, mobility, cloud and helpline based ecosystem. In a mutually beneficial collaboration with Wipro Technologies, Amrita University aims to develop this smart solution with the goal to provide low cost quality care especially for the economically challenged diabetic population across the globe.

Abstract: While Smartphone and IoT devices usage become more and more pervasive, people start also asking to which extent such devices can be maliciously exploited as "tracking devices". The concern is not only related to an adversary taking physical or remote control of the device, but also to what a passive adversary without the above capabilities can observe from the device communications. Work in this latter direction aimed, for example, at inferring the apps a user has installed on his device, or identifying the presence of a specific user within a network. In this talk, we discuss threats coming from contextual information and to which extent it is feasible, for example, to identify the specific actions that a user is doing on mobile apps, by eavesdropping their encrypted network traffic. We will also discuss the possibility of building covert and side channels leveraging energy consumption and audio signals.

Abstract: This talk will give an overview of research in progress for the detection of gravitational waves. The talk will address both the physics and computational aspects related to the problem. Gravitational wave detectors in India and Japan are expected to come on board soon to complement detectors in the US and in Europe. This distributed network of detectors will work jointly to detect and estimate parameters such as event localization or determining the masses and spins of black holes or neutron stars involved in the event. One can expect new distributed algorithms related to signal processing or distributed computing or application of machine learning techniques to be developed in the search for gravitational waves, leading to exciting new research opportunities in this domain.

Abstract: Over a decade or more, the field of Information Technology has seen a wild spread of Agile Software Development (with its several associated spikes like - ScrumBan, DevOps, 2 Speed IT et al). This has not only created a huge wave of innovation, but also lot of contradicting philosophies (& debates). We do see questions (or confusions) on the need to have a stable infrastructure, whereas the rapid dynamics of market expects us to deliver fast. How do we manage a balance between these two spheres? We will dive deep in to these areas and also understand how Agilie Software Delivery is moving to future.

The talk will cover below points for 60 Minutes: o Agility vs Stability Paradox in Computing World. o DevOps in Computing World o Agility in Informatics

Cognitive Computing-Next Wave to AI: Self learning Systems without much of human intervention and mimicking the way the human brain processes is a challenging research area. Cognitive Computing dealt with such systems which involve self-learning systems using use Data mining, Pattern recognition, and Natural Language. This talk will explore various components required for cognitive computing and how a virtual agent creates using a chat bot in a mobile environment. The use of natural language modeling, data analytics, visual recognition are also be discussed in the presentation.

In this session, researchers will present summaries of their own work recently published in top-tier conferences and journals. Contributions are selected based on their scientific quality and their relevance to the ICACCI community.

Keynote 4: Hierarchical Temporal Memories - Theory and Implementations for Algorithms, Circuits and Systems, Dr. Alex Pappachen James, Nazarbayev University, Kazakhstan

Abstract: Mimicking the functions of cortex in the human brain has been one of greatest challenges of artificial intelligence research. The adaptation of biological circuits to silicon systems is not a trivial task, and requires an interdisciplinary understanding of the problems, making this a topic of interest to a wide range of researchers from neuroscience to computer engineers. In this talk, the introduction to Hierarchical Temporal Memories (HTM) architecture in both software and hardware levels is presented. The HTM inspires from the functioning of pyramidal neurons in the cortex and is considered to be useful for several sequence learning tasks. In this talk, I will present a set of algorithms and hardware implementations, specifically that based on memristor circuits and systems. Further, example applications of HTM in pattern recognition applications will be presented.

Keynote Speakers

Title of Talk: Computational Mechanisms Underlying the Control of Simple and Complex Movements

Abstract: A fundamental computation that our brains must perform is the conversion of a stimulus into a motor act. This operation implicitly requires decision-making and motor planning. Using fast eye movements called saccades that rapidly direct our gaze to points of interest in the visual scene we investigate the computational architecture underlying flexible motor planning and control. Using the insights from gained from these experiments we will describe results from recent experiments that provide insights into how the brain might coordinate and control simultaneous eye and hand movements.

Speaker: Dr. V. Srinivasa Chakravarthy, Indian Institute of Technology Madras, Chennai. India

Title of Talk: Understanding the Parkinsonian Brain through Computational Modeling

Abstract: We present a model of Basal Ganglia (BG) that departs from the classical Go/NoGo picture of the function of its key pathways - the direct and indirect pathways (DP & IP). Between the Go and NoGo regimes, we posit a third Explore regime, which denotes random exploration of action alternatives. Striatal dopamine is assumed to switch between DP and IP activation. The IP is modeled as a loop of the Subthalamic Nucleus (STN) and the Globus Pallidus externa (GPe). Simulations reveal that while the model displays Go and NoGo regimes for extreme values of dopamine, at intermediate values of dopamine, it exhibits exploratory behavior, which originates from the chaotic activity of the STN-GPe loop. We describe a series of BG models based on Go/Explore/NoGo approach, to explain the role of BG in three cases: 1) reaching and 2) gait impairment and 3) willed action.

Speaker: Dr. Shyam Diwakar, Amrita University, Kollam, India

Title of Talk: Computational Neuroscience of cerebellum and interconnected circuits

Abstract: Over the last years, cerebellum, a small yet significant region of the brain has been connected for its roles in ataxias, Parkinson's, Alzheimers disorders and several other neurological conditions. Signal coding in the cerebellum happens at the input granular layer comprising of a large percentage of cells. With mathematical modeling as the focus, this talk will elucidate the information transmission and signal recoding properties in the cerebellum. To understand circuit function, we modeled population activity such as local field potentials and fMRI BOLD signals. Local field potentials (LFPs) were reconstructed (Parasuram, 2016, 2017) to test and parameterize the molecular mechanisms of cellular function with network properties. The role of synaptic plasticity in modifying the information capability of this circuit will also be addressed. To conclude, we will also show how abstractions of such brain circuits can help as algorithms in robotic control and deep learning.

Illumination has been found to be an effective cue for detecting splicing forgeries in images. In illumination-based image forensics, the illumination information is estimated from different objects present in an image. The estimated illumination features are later compared to check for possible forgeries. The forensics community has been using two different aspects of illumination for forgery detection: the illumination direction and the illumination colour. Hany Farid and his team at Dartmouth College, pioneered the work on illumination direction-based forensics. In their first method, they estimated the 2D illumination direction from the shading and 2D object contour normals and checked the consistencies in the illumination directions. Later, they proposed to use spherical harmonic (SH) analysis to estimate more complex illumination environment in terms of the SH coefficients, making the method more applicable to real-life images. To estimate the full 3D illumination environment, a 3D face model is created from some face images. The 3D surface normals for a test face image are extracted by applying this model and used to estimate the lighting environment. Recently, Peng et al. have proposed a more accurate 3D SH-based method by relaxing some less practical assumptions about human faces. Like the illumination direction, the illumination colour is proved be an effective cue for checking authenticity of images. In the first illumination colour-based method, we showed how illumination colour can be effectively used to expose splicing forgery. In the method, we first created a dichromatic plane (DP) from the specular highlights of each object utilising the dichromatic reflection model (DRM). We showed that for an authentic image, the DPs estimated from different objects intersect at a single point. For a forged image, there will be more than one intersection points. Carvalho et al. from Brazil have proposed a machine learning-based approach, where a new image, called illuminant map (IM), is first created by replacing each homogenous region with its illuminant colour. Then, machine learning-based classifiers are trained to capture the texture, shape and colour inconsistencies present in spliced images. The presentation will outline these techniques.

Title of Talk: PSYCHOSOCIAL PERSPECTIVE OF ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY

Abstract: In the past several years there has been a great increase in the use of assistive technologies (AT) by persons with disabilities so that they can pursue self-care, educational, vocational, and recreational activities.

Assistive technology is an important concept and refers to a broad range of devices, services, strategies, and practices that are conceived and applied to ameliorate the problems faced by individuals who have disabilities. It is defined as per the Public Law 100-407, the Technical Assistance to the States Act in the United States as ‘any item, piece of equipment or product system, whether acquired commercially off the shelf, modified, or customized, that is used to increase or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities'.

Assistive technology can assist individuals with disabilities to achieve optimal function and independence and has become an increasingly accepted intervention. However, there are numerous reports of dissatisfaction and nonuse of technology by consumers. Device abandonment is a critical part and is considered to be a grey area in the entire domain of AT. Inspite of technological availability, studies have showed that there is minimal use of assistive technology by people with physical disabilities. Literatures suggest that on average, about one third of all devices provided to customers end up stored in closet, basement, or drawer. And such a rate of AT nonuse, discontinuance, abandonment and non- adherence is unacceptably high for both the consumer of such services and the provider funding such services. When devices are not perceived to enhance quality of life (QoL), and those around them have come to expect much less from life, their world shrinks and they stop using devices. It has been observed that typical factors contributing to AT rejection are primarily non-medical psychosocial factors that appear to underlie why many people do not use, or quit using, their AT devices. These non-functional criteria are related to personal and psychosocial factors such as motivation, perceived and desired roles. These psychosocial constructs which might be critical components of the user perspective have been identified as factors in the construct of QoL.

Successful integration of assistive technology into daily lives requires potential device users to explore: 1. the meanings they assign to devices; 2. their expectations of assistive technology; 3. the anticipated social costs; and 4. ways to understand that disability is one, but not the defining, feature of one's identity.

Therefore psychosocial perspective is that part of the AT practice which is critical to the device and service delivery effectiveness. The user satisfaction is the perception of the degree to which the assistive technology system achieves the desired goal(s). And knowledge of consumer satisfaction can predict the likelihood of device retention and abandonment.