AI-based ‘Kala Chashma’ to assist visually impaired

UP students showcase innovative science models at CST UP innovation cell meet under the CST UP Engineering Project Grant Scheme 2023-24
LUCKNOW: From a smart travelling assistant for the visually impaired to solar-powered tricycle for the specially-abled and gas leakage detection system, a lot many innovative models showcasing the creativity of students of different universities and colleges were on display at the exhibition organised by the innovation cell of the Council of Science & Technology (CST), under the CST UP Engineering Project Grant Scheme 2023-24, at the Indira Gandhi Planetarium, Vigyan Bhawan here on Saturday.
A group of six friends have found a way to recycle used batteries’ lithium to make a new one. “By extracting the lithium inside a used battery, we developed a new battery. We used green solvent instead of the conventional solvent which is more hazardous in the process,” said the group of six, including Agrim Mohan Yadav, 21, Krishna Nand Mishra, 22, Prerit Singh, 22, Shikha, 21, Utkarsh Pandey, 22 and Watan Prakash , 22. The group from the Institute of Engineering & Technology, Lucknow also bagged the first position and a cash prize of ₹1 lakh.
AI-based ‘kala chashma’ for visually impaired
Students from Harcourt Butler Technical University, Kanpur have developed an AI-based ‘smart travelling assistance’ to help the blind in their daily lives. “Once on, the sunglasses will give the command to the person through a headphone attached to the ears in case of anything is encountered on the ground,” said Abhishek Maurya who along with his three friends Ashwani Yadav, Sachin Tewari and Saurabh
developed the shades they named ‘Drishti’ and won the second prize along with ₹75,000 cash reward
The technology uses an eye-like camera which can see through. It thus captures the object, then analyses the distance and with the help of AI and machine learning, commands the person through a voice assistance about the distance of the object through earphones,” the students said.
Get text messages during gas leakage at home
To ward off mishaps due to gas leakage, a group of Ayodhya students developed an advanced sensor-based gas leakage system that sends users a text message on their registered number when there is a gas leakage. “The device first identifies the presence of hazardous gases and then alert the person during any leakage and even shuts the gas’s regulator,” said Amit Dwivedi who along with his friends Shruti Srivastav, Nirbhay Rai and Kamalesh Yadav (all students of IET, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Avadh University, Ayodhya) has made the model . “This is in its research stage; it can be made smaller and more compact. If taken ahead further it can play a crucial role in industrial, commercial, and residential settings, helping to prevent catastrophic incidents by providing early warnings,” said the students who won third prize with a ₹50, 000 cash reward.
Other models which too were praised were an Arduino-based star and planet tracker developed by students from Integral University. This team of three said real-time location of stars and planets could be tracked by the device by taking coordinates and aiming with the help of laser light.
The project can assist amateur astronomers in their research by accurately tracking celestial objects in real-time.
Likewise, a hybrid solar and wind power plant developed by a group of students from Madan Mohan Malviya University of Technology in Gorakhpur is equipped with a maximum power
point tracking (MPPT) system and can be used for EV charging on highway dividers. “The project has been designed for vehicle technology and can be particularly useful in rural areas where power shortage is a major problem,” the students said.
Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/cities/lucknow-news/aibased-kala-chashma-to-assist-visually-impaired-101714243199208.html