Raj Reddy Centre for Technology and Society (RRCTS) of International Institute of Information Technology-Hyderabad (IIIT-H) has partnered with Bihar-based NGO i-Saksham to use artificial intelligence (AI) to improve assessment of children’s growth parameters.
Arjun Rajasekhar, an applied researcher at RRCTS, observed that current methods of recording measurements such as a child’s height and weight were mostly manual and prone to human error. Faulty or damaged equipment could also affect the recording of these parameters. “In such scenarios, the Anganwadi workers resort to eye-balling the child’s height and weight in the records,” an official communication quoted him as saying. He added that such estimates does not help track growth progress.
The new AI-method, which primarily engages Angwanwadi workers, proposed two scenarios. The worker holds a smartphone over the child’s head and takes two pictures. One is of the weighing scale and one of the floor in front of the scale. Notably, the app alerts the user about the correct position. The child is made to stand against a wall that has a height chart. The worker then clicks a picture of the child, and the weighing scale. The app then analyses the images taken with the smartphone. It then compares these with standardised data to check for malnutrition.
A Hindi and English user interface is being planned. A three-dimensional reconstruction of subjects using two-dimensional images is being checked for feasibility. The move is an effort of RRCTS to create an AI solution to reduce morbidity and mortality in newborns. As part of their Corporate Social Responsibility initiative, a company named Centific funded the first phase of the project.
Published - August 09, 2024 08:01 pm IST
