A BCG study called The Ghost in the Machine: Artificial Intelligence in the Factory of the Future recently ranked India on the 13th spot in AI implementation. It is speculated that it will soon lead the world in this front when its researchers, entrepreneurs, innovators, students and the Government contributes and takes productive measures in this vision.
Even though the future holds great prospects, India is yet to achieve its full potential in the field. There are only a few organisations, institutes or government bodies doing breakthrough work in the field of AI and machine learning:
AI In Research
ISI, Kolkata’s MIU (Machine Intelligence Unit): The objective of the MIU is to carry out basic research concerning certain aspects of machine intelligence. It conveys the core concept of pattern recognition and machine learning with advanced technologies like fuzzy logic, artificial neural networks, genetic algorithms, fractal and rough sets. The investigation that is currently being done in MIU comprises both the development of these technologies individually and in an integrated (hybridisation) manner, and demonstrating their effectiveness in solving various problems of pattern recognition, image processing, data mining, brain modelling, expert system, vision etc. related to the design of intelligent systems.
ISI Kolkata’s Computer Vision and Pattern Recognition Unit: The CVPR unit is proud of their pioneering development of an Optical Character Recognition (OCR) system for the script recognition of Bangla and Devanagari scripts — the most popular scripts in the Indian subcontinent. The system performs document tilt correction, script line, word and character segmentation, character recognition and finally, error correction. Its performance has been found to be about 98% accurate.
AI in Healthcare
The increasing population is creating huge pressure on the healthcare industry and medical institutes in India. Here are a few organisations revolutionising the industry:
Niramai: It uses Thermalytix, a fusion of sophisticated ML algorithms over thermal images. The patented algorithms automate the process of analysing the 400,000 temperature values measured per person. Unique thermal patterns and image characteristics that are typically used by medical professionals while detecting cancer in other modalities like XRay or Ultrasound are also used to make the report accurate as well as understandable by the radiologist.
Tricog It takes physiological data and ECG’s from clinical and personal health devices and upload them to the cloud wherein the next step, AI-powered algorithms process the data and arrive at a diagnosis. A team of specialists work in real-time with the algorithm to verify the diagnosis which is then sent back the remote centre.
Government Initiatives In Healthcare
– National eHealth Authority (NeHA) is an integrated health information system along with the application of telemedicine and mobile health by collaborating with various stakeholders. To promote setting up of state health records repositories and health information exchanges (HIEs) to facilitate interoperability and to lay down data management, privacy and security policies, guidelines and health records of patients in accordance with statutory provisions and monitoring health records with AI for the better cure of patients.
– Cognitive Science Research Initiative (CSRI) works with the challenges related to cognitive disorders and social issues through the use of psychological tools, early diagnosis and better therapies, intervention technologies and rehabilitation programmes using AI.
DRDO
Multi-Agent Robotics Framework (MARF): The AI-powered multi-layered architecture is capable of providing a multitude of military applications, and will enable collaboration amongst a team of various robots Indian Army has already built products like, Wheeled Robot with Passive Suspension, Snake Robot, Legged Robot, Wall-Climbing Robot, and Robot Sentry, among others.
Unmanned systems targeted for Military operation: It could only be enabled by intelligence and mobility. India has several types of terrain – mountainous, desert, rural, urban, outdoor, and indoor; each presenting its own locomotion challenge to any robotic platform. This impediment could only be tackled by undertaking extensive research in locomotion technologies.
AI in Commercial Space
India is one of the biggest consumer markets in the world and it has open the boundaries for AI for different consumers and e-commerce business. Here is the list how it is being used:
Rivigo: It is a technology-enabled logistics company that aims to deliver reliability through its well-established network and provide transparency and par excellence service to their clients. By using AI and ML in building systems to prevent fuel pilferages using geo-statistical modelling and geo-fencing techniques, analysing and monitoring human behaviour to prevent collisions by using IoMT(Internet of Many Things) sensors and many other applications
BlackBuck: This is building an online marketplace platform for freight where shippers and fleet operators can engage seamlessly. They use AI for their products to create infinite value and deliver measurable results for shippers and fleet operators through Instant Availability, Fair and transparent Pricing, Seamless experience.
Locus is an intelligent logistics automation platform that helps local companies and enterprises courier, e-commerce, food delivery and FMCG. It enables on-demand businesses to dispatch, track and manage their on-field workforce. Netradyne It uses AI and deep learning to improve road and driver safety. Netradyne’s Driveri, is a driver assistance and monitoring device whose features include Quad HD cameras, LTE, GPS, accelerometer, gyrometer, and a Deep Learning processing unit.
