Highschool scholar Selin Alara Ornek is wanting forward — utilizing machine studying and the NVIDIA Jetson platform for edge AI and robotics to create robotic information canines for the visually impaired.
The venture, referred to as IC4U, is considered one of seven robots Ornek has created to this point, together with a faculty help robotic, named BB4All, that may assist forestall bullying with real-time notification and health-monitoring capabilities.
Concerning the Maker
A highschool senior from Istanbul, Turkey, Ornek has all the time had a ardour for the intersection of AI, social good and robotics. She’s a self-taught robotics developer — in constructing IC4U, she used the Jetson Developer Equipment as a sandbox to discover and experiment.
She is a member of AI4ALL, a nonprofit program with the mission to make AI extra various and inclusive, and the New York Academy of Science. A worldwide presence within the robotics scene, she’s been acknowledged on the European Youth Awards and Girls in Tech World Awards occasions. She positioned first within the 2021 Istanbul Bosphorus Robotic Cup and third on the 2023 OpenCV AI Competitors.
Her Inspiration
Ornek’s inspiration for creating IC4U got here from a visit to France, the place she noticed a information canine helping its proprietor. Her late canine, Korsan, was additionally a key supply of inspiration.
“I began to consider if a visually impaired particular person misplaced their canine, not solely would they lose their greatest buddy, however their eyes,” Ornek stated.
The venture was constructed to supply the visually impaired a companion not restricted by getting older and well being.
Her Jetson Mission
Ornek initially used ultrasonic sensors positioned in IC4U’s eyes to detect obstacles. However after attending the 2021 World Summit AI as a panelist, she determined to develop new AI functions for the robotic canine that’d allow it to imitate an actual one.
The ultrasonic sensors solely supplied object detection from straight in entrance of IC4U, and Ornek wished to increase detection to the robotic’s complete environment.
The answer was utilizing sound sensors positioned within the robotic’s ears. IC4U can flip towards a sound and course of visible data gathered by an built-in ZED 2i Huge-Angle 3D AI digicam, which captures a wider vary of visible knowledge and helps detect data reminiscent of the scale and pace of an object.
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“To energy the ZED 2i digicam and for high-quality picture processing, I used an NVIDIA Jetson Nano developer package,” Ornek stated. “I used to be so impressed with the ZED 2i digicam’s efficiency that I didn’t need to restrict its use to a easy object-recognition process.”
She started to think about different ways in which IC4U may help a visually impaired particular person. IC4U’s improved knowledge processing from high-resolution sensors, powered by Jetson, allows it to detect metropolis objects reminiscent of cease indicators, visitors gentle colours and the denomination of paper cash.
As well as, Ornek used the Jetson Nano so as to add a procuring function to IC4U through internet scraping from publicly obtainable assets, aiming to at some point increase it by partnering with on-line retail shops.
Again to College
In the long term, Ornek hopes to deploy IC4U to be used in good cities and areas — persevering with her exploration of AI functions with next-generation platforms like Jetson Orin.
This fall, she’ll start finding out laptop science on the College of British Columbia on a full scholarship, as a recipient of the Karen McKellin Worldwide Chief of Tomorrow Award. She strives to encourage different youth, particularly women, that expertise is enjoyable.
College students and educators with a sound accredited college or education-related e mail deal with can signal as much as buy the Jetson Orin Nano or Jetson AGX Orin Developer Equipment at a reduced charge. U.S.-based college students and educators can go to Sparkfun to join their low cost — residents of different nations ought to verify their eligibility (login required).
Study extra in regards to the NVIDIA Jetson platform and NVIDIA Deep Studying Institute Jetson AI programs and certifications.
