The Smarter Paan-wala: Building Local Knowledge Banks
A decade or two ago, the corner paan/ vegetable shop used to be the go-to person for local information. We can even say that they are the local knowledge banks throughout the country. Over the last decade, Google Maps, Whatsapp location sharing, and other advances in technology have seen a shift from reliance on corner shops. However, there are things still lost in translation and differences in language, accent, and other personal preferences make it harder to communicate certain information in absolute terms (crystal clear manner). We would like to explore solutions to this problem that are based on technology and/or social engineering. The project invites students to engage with their neighbourhood in a fun and quirky manner and find a way for the local shops (paan shop, tea shop or any other vendors) to become repositories of local information/ stories/ anecdotes/ legends. It also invites students to think of technologies that can be used to build these local knowledge banks. The final output that the students will present will be a solution (either a product such as a digital app/or a service) that will help the local vendors and visitors to the neighbourhood exchange information reliably and enjoyably.
Reducing the Impact of Climate Change
Aarav, Razia, and Neelam live in different parts of the world. But they have all grown up experiencing changes caused by climate change in their communities. The planet’s climate is changing because of global warming caused by carbon pollution. Aarav grew up in Delhi and has been concerned about the increasing temperature and the unbearable heat winds of the North Indian summer. On his bus ride back from his school, he observes many roadside vendors and rickshaw pullers sweating profusely while earning their daily wages. He wonders whether something like tree planting can be done in cities to reduce the intensity of heat. He has been working with his friends to talk to local government officials and ensure no trees are cut down for buildings. Stories such as these are common for any young adult adapting to the effects of climate change in their own communities, be it cities, coasts, or mountains. Through this challenge, we invite you to create a solution for your own community to help it adapt to climate change. To help with a more defined scope, consider Delhi as a city that you need to think of solutions for.
Creativity and AI – Machine Learning for Autism
Did you know that 1 in every 100 kids in this world is diagnosed with autism? And this number is on the rise. Depending on severity of their diagnosis, these children have difficulty in performing regular tasks. They are also highly sensitive and find it very difficult to express emotion. Imagine a child of your age wanting to express themselves, but not being able to do so. What if you could help make things better with technology? Let’s take a trip into the world of machine learning. Machine learning (ML) is a type of artificial intelligence (AI) that allows software applications to become more accurate at predicting outcomes without being explicitly programmed to do so. What sorcery is this?! If you are wondering about the machine uprising, fear not. Man over many years has built Machine learning algorithms which use historical data as input to predict new output values. For your project, let’s build a machine learning algorithm to help people who are autistic to express themselves to others. Imagine you have an autistic friend named Jay. You might go up to Jay and tell him that you really like his new dress. Jay might want to show you that he is happy with your nice comment but can’t. Your machine learning program will come in handy here which will predict Jay’s response to your comment and show you what he wants to say. The response can be interesting faces with expressions or even funny memes! Similarly when someone is being mean, the response can be triggered by your machine learning program. Let’s get started and help Jay!
Creativity and Science – Digital Health
Did you know that the Japanese are known to live the longest? The secret of their long life is the concept of ‘Ikigai.’ The Ikigai way of life is especially popular in Okinawa (a city in Japan), known as the ‘Land of Immortals’. They have one of the longest lifespans and the highest rates of centenarians in the world. Okinawans treasure community and forge close bonds with their neighbors. They believe that having a purpose is essential for life fulfillment and that you can find joy and purpose in many aspects of your life such as helping others, eating well, and being surrounded by loving friends and family. They don’t even have a word for retirement and prefer to keep active well into later life, rather than ‘retire’ and stop all work completely. We live in a very hectic world with too many things to do and very little time to take care of ourselves. What if we could use technology to learn to be more like the Okinawans? The intent is to create a sense of balance between our body, mind and soul. Whether we want to achieve good mental health or lose weight or build better relationships, this app should be able to help us achieve our individual goals. Let’s build an app to help us move into a healthier future.
Creativity in Engineering – Foldable House
How many rooms are there in your home? Is there a balcony? How about a garden? How many bathrooms? Are there young kids or older people living with you? Is the design of your home customised for their needs too? And for the biggest question of all – how long did it take to build your home? What if you could build a home that’s customised to suit the needs of people living at your place in a very short time? Let’s take it a step further and use concepts of physics to make it foldable so it can be assembled anywhere! This could potentially solve affordable home crisis or even utilise available space really well. In this project, you will be guided through research, ideation and finally designing the house. You can get creative with the materials and design. Remember it has to be functional and look good. Let’s get started.