NetraAI - Empowering Independence and Inclusivity

• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), there are more than 285 million visually impaired people in the world, 90 per cent of whom live in developing countries. A World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) survey found that countries have limitations and clauses in their copyright laws for Braille, large print or digitized audio versions of copyrighted texts.
• Also, according to the World Blind Union (WBU), out of the million books published each year in the world, less than 5 per cent are made available in accessible formats. Furthermore, because copyright law is “territorial”, these exemptions usually do not cover the import or export of works converted into accessible formats, even between countries with similar rules. Also converting this readable text into identical Braille master files is a costly undertaking that severely limits access by the beneficiaries to printed works of all kinds.
• Furthermore, language should not be a barrier for acquiring knowledge. Books written in foreign languages cannot be read and comprehended due to insufficient skills in that language. This significant language barrier makes it difficult to understand texts written in other languages.

A gift is pure when it is given from the heart to the right person at the right time, at the right place and when one expects nothing in return. My goal is to touch the lives of many individuals who have the will but lack the resources and the means to fulfil their dreams.

NetraAI is a pair of relatively affordable, lightweight wearable technological innovations that helps the blind or partially sighted to move around independently with less dependency. NetraAI's vision is to make the world more inclusive and accessible. NetraAI's mission is to make the world a better place and help them enjoy independence and perceive possibility by offering the following distinctive features enabled -

Advanced Azure AI Services - Makes use of cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence with advanced machine learning to quickly extract text and structure from documents. With prebuilt models, transforms documents into usable data. Easily retrieves data and organizes information with prebuilt and custom features and improves it with human feedback.

Privacy and security – Made use of the Azure Applied AI Services, backed by Azure infrastructure and enterprise-grade security, availability, compliance and manageability.

Adopts Azure Cognitive Services - Embedded the ability to see, hear, speak, search, understand and accelerate advanced decision-making in this Product. Enabled to interact with users through natural language.

Language understanding and Translator - Conversational language understanding is integrated enabling to interact with users through natural language. Understands and translates the document into more than 80+ languages and reads aloud.

Any text, anywhere - With the Read Text feature, converts text to lifelike speech for a more natural interface, reads any short text that’s in front of you with Instant Text and turns any kind of long-form text into speech with emotions powered by sentiment analysis. Be it hand-written notes, newspapers, magazines, reads complex documents and letters or even your own post and instantly read text from any surface in any language. This is backed by smart guidance and layout detection features to help you dive into that book and listen back at your leisure.

Explore your world - Discover what’s around you with Describe Scene and Explore features. Identify light sources, cash notes and even colours, find objects in real-time.

Integrated with Face API to detect and identify faces of people you know, even in a crowd and enables you to share that information with a camera and a direct speaker powered by Artificial Intelligence in the background.

It reacts to “what I’m wearing” and can even detect the colour of clothes or products making shopping fun! Isn’t it amazing!

Call Any Helpline - Help is just a call away. The NetraAI open up a world of independence and keeps you connected at all times. Additionally, shares your current navigation through the share location feature and helps assist you in real time. Make hands-free, video calls to trusted friends and family.

NetraAI also helps organizations meet their diversity and inclusivity goals and tap into new pools of valuable talent.

Link to YouTube Demo Video: https://youtu.be/6j07jk3tg3U

The primary beneficiaries of NetraAI are visually impaired individuals, particularly those living in developing countries where access to resources and technology for the visually impaired is limited. This includes individuals who are completely blind or have low vision.

Currently, this population is underserved in several ways:

1. Limited access to printed materials: Visually impaired individuals often face challenges accessing printed materials such as books, newspapers and signs due to the lack of resources like Braille versions or audio formats.

2. Language barriers: Many visually impaired individuals struggle to understand texts written in foreign languages due to poor language skills, further limiting their access to knowledge and information.

3. High cost of assistive technologies: Traditional solutions for text recognition, language translation, and text-to-speech conversion can be prohibitively expensive, making them inaccessible to many visually impaired individuals, especially in developing countries.

NetraAI addresses these needs and challenges by providing an affordable and accessible solution that directly impacts the lives of visually impaired individuals in the following ways:

1. Access to printed materials: NetraAI enables visually impaired individuals to recognize and read printed texts in real-time, including books, newspapers, and signs, using its advanced AI capabilities and intuitive design.

2. Language translation: NetraAI facilitates language translation, allowing users to comprehend texts in multiple languages, thereby breaking down language barriers and expanding access to information.

3. Affordable and accessible technology: Unlike traditional assistive technologies that are costly and inaccessible to many, NetraAI is designed to be affordable, lightweight and easy to use, making it accessible to a wider population of visually impaired individuals, including those in developing countries.

By providing visually impaired individuals with greater independence, access to information and inclusion in society, NetraAI has the potential to significantly improve their quality of life and empower them to seek educational and professional opportunities that were previously out of reach.

As the team lead and creator of NetraAI, I am deeply connected to the visually impaired community through personal experiences and interactions. My journey began with a school assignment where I visited an NGO called the 'Premaanjali Foundation,' which works with blind children. Through conversations with volunteers and students at the foundation, I gained firsthand insights into the challenges faced by visually impaired individuals and the significant educational gap they encounter.

These interactions ignited a passion within me to develop innovative solutions to address these challenges and improve the lives of visually impaired individuals. My vision for NetraAI is deeply rooted in the feedback and needs expressed by members of the visually impaired community. By actively engaging with individuals from these communities, I ensured that their input, ideas and agendas were incorporated into the design and implementation of NetraAI.

Furthermore, while academic and professional credentials are important, what truly sets me and my team apart is our proximity to and empathy for the communities we serve. As a 17-year-old innovator and entrepreneur, I bring a fresh perspective and an honest commitment to making a difference in the lives of visually impaired individuals. During this journey, I wish to expand my team and add individuals who share this same passion and dedication to creating meaningful impact.

Throughout the development process, I have continuously sought feedback from members of the visually impaired community and their caretakers, incorporating their insights and suggestions into the design and functionality of NetraAI. This iterative approach ensures that our solution is not only technologically robust but also meaningful and relevant to the needs of the target population.

In summary, our close connection to the visually impaired community, coupled with our dedication to incorporating their input and feedback, uniquely positions us to design and deliver a solution like NetraAI that truly makes a difference in the lives of those we seek to serve.

NetraAI is in its early prototyping phase. However, when I showed NetraAI to the Blind kids, the hope, excitement and smiles on their charming faces is what kept me going to keep working. Their enthusiasm fuels my confidence that NetraAI will indeed make a big difference in their lives, driving me to work tirelessly towards that goal.

As of the current stage of development, I have successfully built and tested a prototype of NetraAI, my innovative solution designed to empower visually impaired individuals. The prototype incorporates key features such as text recognition, language translation and text-to-speech conversion, leveraging advanced AI technologies and intuitive design.

In the testing phase, I conducted extensive user testing sessions with visually impaired individuals to gather feedback and refine the functionality and usability of the prototype. These testing sessions allowed us to identify areas for improvement and make necessary adjustments to ensure that NetraAI meets the needs and preferences of our target users.

Through our pilot programs and demonstrations, we have received positive feedback on the potential impact of NetraAI in improving the lives of visually impaired individuals. However, I recognize that there is still work to be done to further refine and optimize the solution before it can be scaled and deployed more broadly.

Overall, my accomplishments so far include the successful development and testing of a prototype, as well as the initial validation of the solution through pilot programs and demonstrations. I remain committed to continuing our efforts to make NetraAI a reality and to positively impact the lives of visually impaired individuals around the world.

I am applying to MIT Solve because I believe in the power of collaboration and collective action to drive positive change in the world. Solve's mission aligns closely with my vision for NetraAI and I see Solve as a valuable platform that can help us overcome various barriers and accelerate the impact of our solution.

Specifically, I hope that Solve can help us overcome the following barriers:

1. Access to Funding: Solve's connections with potential funders and investors can help me secure the necessary resources to accelerate the development and implementation of our solution.

2. Market Access: Bringing NetraAI to market requires navigating various legal, cultural and market barriers. Solve's network of partners and collaborators can provide valuable insights and connections to help us navigate these challenges and successfully introduce NetraAI to the target communities.

3. Partnerships and Collaborations: Solve can help me forge strategic partnerships and collaborations with organizations, governments and other stakeholders working in the field of assistive technology and accessibility.

Overall, I see Solve as a unique opportunity to leverage the collective expertise, resources, and networks of its community to overcome barriers and accelerate the impact of NetraAI in improving the lives of visually impaired individuals worldwide. I am super excited about the possibility of joining Solve as a team and contributing to its mission of solving the world's most pressing challenges through innovation and collaboration. I eagerly look forward to explaining more about my Project in the next phases of this challenge.

NetraAI is innovative in several key ways that distinguish it from existing solutions and approaches to addressing the challenges faced by visually impaired individuals:

1. Affordability and Accessibility: NetraAI is designed to be highly affordable and accessible, leveraging open-source technologies and cost-cutting strategies to reduce the financial barriers that often limit access to assistive technologies for visually impaired individuals, especially in developing countries. By offering NetraAI at a fraction of the cost of traditional solutions, we aim to democratize access to assistive technology and make it available to a wider population of visually impaired individuals.

2. Comprehensive Functionality: NetraAI offers a comprehensive set of features and capabilities, including text recognition, language translation, text-to-speech conversion, object identification, and scene description. Unlike existing solutions that may focus on a single aspect of accessibility, NetraAI provides a holistic solution that addresses multiple needs and challenges faced by visually impaired individuals, enhancing their independence, mobility, and access to information.

3. Advanced AI Technology: NetraAI leverages cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, including Azure AI Services and Raspberry Pi, to deliver fast, accurate, and reliable performance. By harnessing the power of AI, NetraAI is able to recognize text in real-time, translate it into multiple languages, and provide natural-sounding speech output, providing users with a seamless and intuitive experience.

4. User-Centered Design: NetraAI is designed with the needs and preferences of visually impaired individuals in mind, incorporating feedback and insights gathered through extensive user testing and engagement. The device features an intuitive interface, tactile controls, and customizable settings to ensure that it is easy to use and meets the diverse needs of its users.

5. Potential for Collaboration and Impact: NetraAI has the potential to catalyze broader positive impacts by fostering collaboration and knowledge-sharing within the assistive technology community. By open-sourcing its technology and sharing best practices, NetraAI can inspire and empower other innovators to develop similar solutions and contribute to the collective goal of improving accessibility for visually impaired individuals worldwide.

Overall, NetraAI has the potential to change the market landscape by disrupting the status quo of expensive and inaccessible assistive technologies and driving innovation in the field of accessibility. By offering a more affordable, comprehensive, and user-friendly solution, NetraAI has the power to transform the lives of visually impaired individuals and catalyze positive change in the broader assistive technology ecosystem.

Our theory of change for NetraAI is based on the following logical framework:

Activities:
1. Development of NetraAI prototype: We will continue to refine and enhance the NetraAI prototype, incorporating feedback from user testing sessions and iterative design improvements.
2. Pilot programs and demonstrations: We will conduct pilot programs and demonstrations to validate the functionality and usability of NetraAI in real-world settings, gathering feedback from visually impaired individuals and stakeholders.
3. Collaboration and partnerships: We will seek collaborations and partnerships with organizations, governments, and other stakeholders working in the field of assistive technology and accessibility to expand the reach and impact of NetraAI.

Outputs:
1. A fully functional NetraAI prototype: We will produce a fully functional prototype of NetraAI that incorporates key features such as text recognition, language translation, and text-to-speech conversion.
2. Positive feedback and testimonials: We will gather positive feedback and testimonials from visually impaired individuals who have used NetraAI, highlighting its effectiveness and impact on their lives.
3. Collaborative partnerships: We will establish collaborative partnerships with organizations and stakeholders who share our vision for improving accessibility for visually impaired individuals.

Outcomes:
1. Improved access to printed materials: By providing visually impaired individuals with a cost-effective and accessible solution for reading printed materials, NetraAI will improve their access to information and educational resources.
2. Enhanced independence and mobility: NetraAI's features such as object identification and scene description will enhance the independence and mobility of visually impaired individuals, allowing them to navigate their surroundings more confidently.
3. Empowerment and inclusion: By empowering visually impaired individuals with tools like NetraAI, we aim to foster a sense of empowerment and inclusion, enabling them to participate more fully in society and pursue their educational and professional goals.

Evidence supporting our theory of change includes feedback and testimonials from visually impaired individuals who have participated in pilot programs and demonstrations, as well as findings from user testing sessions and evaluations of the NetraAI prototype. Additionally, we will continue to gather data and insights from interviews, surveys, and other research methods to further validate and strengthen the links between our activities, outputs, and outcomes.

Our impact goals for NetraAI are focused on creating positive, transformative change in the lives of visually impaired individuals. These impact goals are central to our mission and guide all aspects of our work:

1. Increased Access to Information: Our primary impact goal is to increase access to information for visually impaired individuals, enabling them to read printed materials, navigate their surroundings, and participate more fully in society. We are measuring progress towards this goal by tracking metrics such as the number of individuals using NetraAI to access printed materials, the types of materials being accessed (e.g., books, newspapers, signs), and the frequency of use.

2. Enhanced Independence and Mobility: We aim to enhance the independence and mobility of visually impaired individuals by providing them with tools and technologies that enable them to navigate their surroundings more confidently. To measure progress towards this goal, we are tracking indicators such as the number of individuals using NetraAI to identify objects and scenes, feedback on user confidence and mobility improvements, and anecdotal evidence of increased independence in daily activities.

3. Empowerment and Inclusion: Our goal is to empower visually impaired individuals with tools like NetraAI, fostering a sense of empowerment and inclusion in society. We are measuring progress towards this goal by gathering feedback and testimonials from users about their experiences with NetraAI, documenting instances of increased participation in educational and professional activities, and assessing changes in self-perception and confidence levels among users.

4. Market Adoption and Impact: We aim to achieve broader market adoption of NetraAI and catalyze positive change in the assistive technology landscape. To measure progress towards this goal, we are tracking indicators such as the number of NetraAI units deployed in different regions, partnerships and collaborations established with organizations and stakeholders, and media coverage and visibility of NetraAI as a transformative solution for visually impaired individuals.

By focusing on these impact goals and regularly monitoring our progress towards them, we ensure that NetraAI remains aligned with our mission of creating meaningful and lasting change for visually impaired individuals worldwide.

The core technology that powers NetraAI is a combination of advanced artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms, cloud computing, and hardware components. Here's an overview of the key technologies involved:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI): NetraAI leverages AI technologies, including machine learning and natural language processing, to perform tasks such as text recognition, language translation, and sentiment analysis. These AI algorithms are trained on large datasets of text and images to accurately recognize and interpret information from printed materials.

2. Cloud Computing: NetraAI makes use of cloud computing infrastructure to process and analyze data in real-time. By hosting AI models on the cloud, NetraAI can leverage scalable computing resources to handle complex tasks efficiently, such as language translation and text-to-speech conversion.

3. Hardware Components: NetraAI is powered by hardware components such as Raspberry Pi, a small, affordable computer that serves as the central processing unit for the device. Other hardware components include a camera module for capturing images of printed materials, a microphone for inputting voice commands, and a speaker for outputting text-to-speech audio.

4. Software Integration: NetraAI integrates various software components to perform its functions seamlessly. This includes software written in Python for controlling the device's operations, as well as APIs and SDKs for accessing AI services and cloud computing resources.

Overall, the core technology behind NetraAI enables it to recognize and interpret text from printed materials, translate text into multiple languages, and provide natural-sounding speech output, thereby empowering visually impaired individuals to access information and navigate their surroundings more independently.

Due to the crunch of funds, right now it is just me. 

But with the flow of funds that I plan from Grants and Investment Capital, I am looking forward to expanding NetraAI into a team of complementing individuals who are equally as excited about the vision that NetraAI holds. 

The NetraAI solution has been in development for approximately 1 year. This dates back to the time when I first thought of building something like NetraAI after discovering the problems Blind Children face. 

Ensuring diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) are core values of our team, and we are committed to fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment for all team members. Here are some ways we strive to achieve this:

1. Diverse Leadership and Culture: Our team recognizes the importance of diversity at all levels, including leadership. As the Founder, I actively seek to ensure that diverse perspectives are represented in decision-making processes and leadership roles within the team. A positive culture of equality and mutual respect is something that shall flow from me, as it is driven by a top-to-bottom approach. 

2. Recruitment and Hiring Practices: When recruiting new team members, we would look into diversity as a factor to get a better perspective and seek to minimize barriers to opportunity by adopting inclusive hiring practices. We shall actively reach out to candidates from diverse backgrounds and communities, and strive to create a recruitment process that is fair, transparent, and accessible to all. We also realize that maintaining diversity might not be possible at all times at a small scale, but we will do more than what's necessary to be free from any kind of discriminatory thoughts or practices.

3. Training and Development: We shall invest in training and development opportunities for all team members to foster a culture of continuous learning and growth. This includes providing resources and support for professional development, as well as offering workshops and training sessions on topics related to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

4. Open Communication and Feedback: We encourage open communication and feedback among team members, creating a safe space for sharing ideas, concerns, and perspectives. By fostering a culture of open dialogue, we aim to ensure that all team members feel valued, respected, and supported.

5. Community Engagement: We actively engage with our community and stakeholders to ensure that our work is informed by diverse perspectives and experiences. This includes collaborating with organizations and individuals from different backgrounds and communities, as well as seeking feedback from end-users and beneficiaries.

6. Continuous Improvement: We are committed to continuous improvement and regularly assess our practices and policies to identify areas for growth and enhancement. This includes evaluating our DEI efforts and implementing changes as needed to create a more diverse, equitable, and inclusive environment for all team members.

Overall, our team will be dedicated to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion in all aspects of our work, and we recognize that creating a welcoming and inclusive environment is essential for achieving our mission of driving positive change in the world.

One of NetraAI's key strengths is its cost-effectiveness. While similar products in the global market can cost up to 300000 INR, NetraAI's production version is priced at a mere 7000 INR. To achieve the impact I envision for NetraAI, I  aim to collaborate with governments to provide subsidies to the visually impaired, making NetraAI even more accessible. Additionally, I look forward to partnering with organizations and NGOs to set up a B2B model with them. We will also have a D2C model for the segment of customers who want to directly buy from us.

As per my plan, we will start with the D2C and B2B models. After achieving our targets in terms of the impact we have created in society, we would use this data to lay out our tracks to set up a B2G model with the Government. 

Additionally, we would need financial support in the form of grants and funding to accelerate our growth at scale. This would help me assemble a team that is equally passionate towards the vision of NetraAI. I aim to make the "I" in these plans a "we" very soon!

NetraAI would raise funds through Government Grants and investment capital. Government Grants would provide us with a smoother route for penetration into their existing systems, that we can use to crack a deal for their per-product subsidies. 

I want to keep NetraAI bootstrapped until we finish the process of Design For Manufacturing and get some pieces ready for Testing in the real world. The data obtained from these tests will be a great selling point for us, through which I believe we can raise capital at a slightly higher valuation. This will help us in the long run. 

According to my chain of thoughts, to be a long-term sustainable organization and to scale we would need to be a For-Profit Organization. Our revenue model will be, to have a gross profit margin for every product sold. The revenue would hence directly depend on the quantity of the product's sales. This Profit margin would vary based on demography and the average purchase power of the people of that demography. The cause of NetraAI would also help us in CSR directly, through which we can reinvest the funds that would have been taken away as taxes, into distributing NetraAI for free to underprivileged kids. 

NetraAI has also recently won an Incubation Grant of 100000 INR from a competition called "Youth Ideathon". I have been able to develop the prototype of NetraAI through some smaller cash prizes I got from different competitions. 

As per my research, Microsoft has programs through which they waive off the cloud costs of a company/product if it is working for a noble cause, in the field of inclusivity. NetraAI falls in that category. Getting this aid would be of massive benefit to NetraAI. As a Plan B, if we do not, we would have to charge our users a small fee as per their usage of NetraAI every month. This would be similar to your mobile phone bills. My ground-level research indicated that the users would be willing to pay this nominal fee if it is below 400 INR per month, which according to my calculations - it will be.