India responded quickly to COVID-19 by using AI-powered tools to churn the data to get possible important insights.
The central government of India enforced a nation-wide lockdown to contain the spread of the virus, along with it several other initiatives such as Corona helpdesk and Aarogya Setu app were also provided for its people. With more than 1billion people, India demanded more digital services to complement the efforts taken.
Several startups and tech companies provided AI tools to monitor infection, provide supplies, thermal screening, flag physical distancing violation in public places and for contact tracing of patients.
Here are few AI-enabled tools used by some states to combat COVID-19:
Kerala
First Indian state to implement the use of AI-powered ‘Thermal and Optical Imaging Camera’ for fever screening people and isolate who are ill.
Nightingale-19 Robot of Srishti Robotics is used in hospitals in Kannur and Thalassery to help doctors to use interactive technologies to interact with patients. The bot can deliver food and medicines in bulk too.
Karnataka
Karnataka government uses a tracking tool called Corona Watch app. As contact tracing is an important way to monitor patients, the app keeps tab over the patients during their incubation period. The patients must click and upload their photo periodically and the geotags of these people are used to check whether they are under self-quarantine.
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu e-Governance Agency (TNeGA) launched an Aarogya Setu IVRS system for people who do not use smartphones, especially senior citizens. The agency delivered software for hospital inventory management, helpline call centers with Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) system for better communication.
A data analytics center to study the trends from various districts and to make action plans at the government level is constituted by the state collaborating along with HCL.
Bihar
Bihar, through the Norway India Partnership Initiative (NIPI), collaborating with Wadhwani Institute of Artificial Intelligence are developing a AI powered tool to detect infections with coughing patterns.
Uttar Pradesh
Addverb Technologies robot is used in government quarantine centers, Noida for contactless operations like food and medicine delivery and to sanitize hospitals and schools.
Staqu, AI-powered video analytics platform JARVIS helps in surveillance to enforce social distancing rules.
Several other states like Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh are usingAI powered drones in densely populated areas to check if rules are being followed.
Marut Dronetech, a startup helped states to use drones to deliver essentials and to find possible rule violations. L&T enabled 20 states to monitor crowds with their AI capabilities. And it is quite clear that technologies put to proper use can benefit mankind.
