Let’s meet our co-founder Associate Professor Thanarat Chalidabhongse, Ph.D. (Ajarn Fon)

Let’s meet our co-founder

.

Associate Professor Thanarat Chalidabhongse, Ph.D. (Ajarn Fon)

Computer Engineer specializing in AI and Computer Vision for solving real-world problems

In the Classroom

Ajarn Fon holds a bachelor's degree in Computer Engineering from Chulalongkorn University. She began her career as a systems engineer at IBM before pursuing a master's degree in Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the University of Southern California, USA. Her first research work involved designing neural networks for reading handwritten digits. She later earned her PhD in Computer Vision from the University of Maryland, where she also served as a researcher at the UMIACS Institute in Maryland, USA. 

Ajarn Fon was also a visiting researcher at the ATRI Research Institute in Japan. She currently teaches at the Department of Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Chulalongkorn University.

Outside the Classroom

Ajarn Fon is the co-founder of four companies that utilize computer technologies, including computer vision, to solve problems across various industries. Her method for separating objects from the background in images has been widely adopted internationally. As the head of Chula PIC Lab, she applies her expertise in image processing and object motion detection across multiple industries, including surveillance, manufacturing, healthcare, transportation, finance, and waste management.

Q: What is Ajarn Fon's teaching style like?

A: I teach in a way that ensures students understand both theory and practice, fostering analytical skills and the ability to apply knowledge to real-world problems.

Q: What do you want to learn more about at this stage in life?

A: I enjoy continually learning new sciences and disciplines, as well as exploring self-development.

Q: Besides being an academic, what else do you want to do?

A: As a child, I dreamed of becoming an inventor, which I have done to a certain extent. Now, I want to use my skills to contribute positively to society.

Q: What technology do you hope to see realized in the future?

A: With over 30 years of experience in tech, I believe that most of the technology being developed today will become a reality. What I hope to see is its positive and constructive application, rather than being used in harmful or destructive ways.

Q: What message do you want to share with Carbonoi followers?

A: I invite everyone to engage in mutual learning and exchange to help create a better world in terms of environment, economy, and society.

Read more about Ajarn Fon's biography at https://www.carbonoi.com/en/อ-ฝน

Follow her academic work at https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=SEamBsYAAAAJ&hl=en&oi=ao