HYDERABAD, India, April 29, 2024 -- Raj Reddy Center for Technology and Society (RCTS) at International Institute of Information Technology Hyderabad (IIITH) received a funding of Rs 18 lakhs, approximately, from Centific, for its project on 'AI for Automated Malnutrition Detection'.

Centific's financial support will propel the project's first phase, encompassing: platform development to build the core infrastructure for the AI-powered malnutrition detection system; first phase pilot deployment for implementing the platform on ground; data collection for gathering initial data sets to train and refine the AI model; performance optimization enhancing the platform's accuracy and efficiency; and prototype delivery of the first version within an estimated timeframe of six months.

IIIT Hyderabad has partnered with i-Saksham, a non-profit organization (NGO) dedicated to empowering women and enhancing educational opportunities in Bihar. This collaboration aligns with the New Education Policy's (NEP) focus on foundational learning outcomes. This project aims to streamline growth monitoring, enhance data accuracy, and provide reliable data to government agencies, for effective interventions to combat malnutrition.

Existing workflows for obtaining and recording the measurements of height and weight are completely manual, introducing data-entry errors into the system by frontline staff like anganwadi workers. Maintaining weight and height measuring tools has also been problematic, leading to unreliable data due to malfunctioning equipment. Due to this the staff does guess work to note the height and weight of the children, sometimes. There is no proper data available, currently, to take action towards eliminating the same from the government side.

The current project aims to minimize these errors in data collection by automating the process of recording height and weight information from the measuring device to the database, where possible. We propose developing a CV-based solution that attempts to solve the issue with minimal to no additional hardware requirement (other than the user's smartphone), for consideration by the organisation.

Speaking on the grant, Prof. Ramesh Loganathan, Professor of Practice, IIIT Hyderabad, said, "We are very happy to receive the support from Centific. Such support is very central to our efforts to help NGOs with the latest technology."

Dr Dinesh Chandrasekar, Chief Strategy Officer at Centific, said, "As pioneers in the AI & Analytics Services, Centific is committed to leveraging AI for social good. In that regard, we are more than happy to support the brilliant minds at IIITH in addressing the silent crisis of malnutrition. Automating the detection process goes beyond mere identification; it facilitates ensuring timely and targeted interventions, potentially saving countless lives. Beyond being a sponsor for this initiative, we also stand ready to provide technical expertise from our talented team at Centific. The intersection of cutting-edge technology and compassionate action holds the potential to revolutionize the way we address societal challenges, ultimately leading to a vibrant and healthier future for all."

About IIIT Hyderabad

The International Institute of Information Technology, Hyderabad (IIITH) is an autonomous research university founded in 1998 that focuses on the core areas of Information Technology, such as Computer Science, Electronics and Communications, and their applications in other domains through inter-disciplinary research that has a greater social impact. Some of its research domains include Visual Information Technologies, Human Sciences, Language Technologies, Data Engineering, VLSI and Embedded Systems, Computer Architecture, Wireless Communications, Algorithms and Information Security, Robotics, Building Science, Earthquake Engineering, Computational Natural Sciences and Bioinformatics, Education Technologies, Power Systems, IT in Agriculture and e-Governance. Website: www.iiit.ac.in

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