The whole world was startled by the darkness generated by the Russia-Ukraine war. Nations, including India, are going through the socio-economic and political crises they created. All of us have glanced at the photographs of destroyed buildings, orphaned children and dislocated families. Worst were the sights of their healthcare camps. There are not enough health professionals to satisfy the needs of the demised, injured and handicapped. You, too, might have let out a deep sigh skimming through the news stories. Many blame the government for not taking the necessary actions to prevent the war. But they had forgotten that they were part of the government too.
Nyah Bhat and Vir Gogia did not blame anyone but raised their voice and took responsibility. The duo sought the help of AI to build a robot that could be used by doctors and health workers working in the refugee camps. The model was trained to detect burns and provide primary medicine. Including APIs and ensuring cybersecurity enhanced the model’s interactive capability. The privacy of the data stored in the model is yet another factor carefully handled by the team. “Another factor we thought about the model was the AI ethics”, said Nyah in a conversation with INDIAai. “We were not going to discriminate based on color, gender, age, race”, she added. To make the robot more familiar to children, it was developed in the shape of a Mickey Mouse.
Growing with AI
The AI model developed by Nyah and Vir paved the way for them to win the title of first runner-up in the Microsoft Imagine Cup Junior. Nyah is currently a 10th grader and has been taking classes from Coding & More for the past few months. On the other hand, Vir, who is presently pursuing his 9th grade, gained his first AI exposure through the Imagine Junior Cup by Microsoft.
“Understanding which field our robot is going to help the best in and where it can help were the biggest challenge we faced while developing the model”, says Vir. The primary aim of the model was to become an aid for children suffering. Even though the whole thought was conceptual, the technical side of the project was a hurdle they had to cross. According to Nyah, “We had to make the model very reliable and secure at the same time we had to be precise with what we would use”. In addition, the logistical side of the project, which included factors such as transporting the model to a refugee camp where there might be limited access, were struggles that needed to be addressed and tackled. Working tirelessly on these subjects, this two-member team could rectify most of the issues.
“AI has opened up a new world for me. I did not know something like this existed”, says Nyah. However, she did have a basic understanding of the idea of AI before joining coding and more. In this 21st Century, everyone knows what AI is and how it functions. But according to her, one should work with AI to understand its broader reach. Vir, on the other hand, a newbie in the AI world, expects to work with various applications that function using AI and transform it to be more accessible.
Message to the world
There are different sets of students in the world. Some are familiar with AI but do not know how to access it, while others want to learn about it but fear that they might not fit in the field. The story of Nyah and Vir are the ones that can omit these uncertainties. The government and private organizations to make AI-based development more inclusive. “Students who limit themselves from aspiring AI due to their fear should just stop worrying and go for it”, says Nyah. “Once you get into it, nothing will stop you from going forward”, she said. Agreeing with Nyah, Vir stated, “If you are passionate about it, then you should try it.
Vir and Nyah are still figuring out their plans. However, the duo hopes AI will be a part of their plans.
Source: indiaai.gov.in
