A research team at Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) is working on potentially groundbreaking research in the fight against malaria.
Using new technology and data techniques, the team can predict geographical areas vulnerable to the disease based on potential weather conditions, heat and humidity.
Led by Abdulmotaleb El Saddik, professor of computer vision at MBZUAI, the team is hoping to help doctors and health officials in Indonesia.
It is all made possible with sensory data fusion, a technique that combines data from several sensors to generate a virtual representation of the world, or a “digital twin”.
"The research we are dealing with is collecting sensory data from different sources and then performing machine learning algorithm and deep learning algorithm methods in order to predict potential weather conditions, potential areas depending on the heat, humidity and [in turn] predict potential malaria outbreaks,” Dr El Saddik said.
Malaria is a life-threatening disease primarily found in tropical countries.
About 250 million people contract it every year, with the mosquito-transmitted disease killing 600,000 in 2021 alone, according to the World Health Organisation (WHO).
What’s a digital twin?
“A digital twin is a virtual representation of any living or non-living entity, so, technically, a digital twin is our virtual representation of a city, forest or tree,” Dr El Saddik said.
“We perform interactions and we try to understand what's going on as if it was a real representation [of the world].”
Historical data from several sources is used to better represent the physical world and make sure that the information picked up by the AI sensors is correct.
Using a combination of historical and sensory data, researchers hope they can predict where the mosquitoes carrying malaria are most likely to migrate to next.
Why the need for sensors?
Dr El Saddik said it is necessary to use vision sensors and cameras to detect the location of mosquitoes.
“If we only consider satellite images, we can see the clouds where they are and where they are going. But for malaria, which is based on mosquitoes, distance from the ground is about two metres. So satellite images are not enough to give us this information,” Dr El Saddik added.
The team also uses data provided by meteorology centres that are used to teach the system AI algorithms.
Can it help against other diseases?
“We could use the whole framework to fight other diseases. However, we need to understand other diseases and we need the historical data from other diseases to train our artificial intelligence model to [imitate] them,” Dr El Saddik said.
“But once this project is done, we will have a much better understanding on the use of the data and we could apply our knowledge and train new models.”
Dr El Saddik said that in future, dengue fever could be another disease this technology is used to fight.
About Takalam
Date started: early 2020
Founders: Khawla Hammad and Inas Abu Shashieh
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: HealthTech and wellness
Number of staff: 4
Funding to date: Bootstrapped
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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What is Diwali?
The Hindu festival is at once a celebration of the autumn harvest and the triumph of good over evil, as outlined in the Ramayana.
According to the Sanskrit epic, penned by the sage Valmiki, Diwali marks the time that the exiled king Rama – a mortal with superhuman powers – returned home to the city of Ayodhya with his wife Sita and brother Lakshman, after vanquishing the 10-headed demon Ravana and conquering his kingdom of Lanka. The people of Ayodhya are believed to have lit thousands of earthen lamps to illuminate the city and to guide the royal family home.
In its current iteration, Diwali is celebrated with a puja to welcome the goodness of prosperity Lakshmi (an incarnation of Sita) into the home, which is decorated with diyas (oil lamps) or fairy lights and rangoli designs with coloured powder. Fireworks light up the sky in some parts of the word, and sweetmeats are made (or bought) by most households. It is customary to get new clothes stitched, and visit friends and family to exchange gifts and greetings.
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Electric scooters: some rules to remember
- Riders must be 14-years-old or over
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- Park the electric scooter in designated parking lots (if any)
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- Solo riders only, no passengers allowed
- Do not drive outside designated lanes
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The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
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The specs
- Engine: 3.9-litre twin-turbo V8
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Quick pearls of wisdom
Focus on gratitude: And do so deeply, he says. “Think of one to three things a day that you’re grateful for. It needs to be specific, too, don’t just say ‘air.’ Really think about it. If you’re grateful for, say, what your parents have done for you, that will motivate you to do more for the world.”
Know how to fight: Shetty married his wife, Radhi, three years ago (he met her in a meditation class before he went off and became a monk). He says they’ve had to learn to respect each other’s “fighting styles” – he’s a talk it-out-immediately person, while she needs space to think. “When you’re having an argument, remember, it’s not you against each other. It’s both of you against the problem. When you win, they lose. If you’re on a team you have to win together.”
