UNZA STUDENT INVENTS DISEASE DETECTING SOFTWARE

By Sally Mulambya

A University of Zambia student has invented an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Configuration System designed to detect diseases in plants.

Speaking in an interview Pizo Mundiya, an Electrons and Telecommunications Engineer said the new software is designed to take shots of plants and split the captured plant into multiple image segments for analysis.

“it is a trained model that can be organized based on application for high performance scalability on cloud technology” Mundia explained.

He added that the software would largely benefit the Zambia nation and farmers in particular because it would help detect diseases, measure and ascertain plant health.

The high tech software is implemented on a camera system / hardware with a primary sensor which will get input from the same device, storing it and giving you results in real time.

He stated that the software is different from the available devices such as drones that are used to get Ariel photographs that only get an overall vegetation index analysis based on crop colour levels because the analysis of the software was based on different things.  

Mr. Mundia explained that the software had a technological advantage because of the precision it gives of what goes on in a field by detecting exact diseases on plants, assessing plant health and water levels.

He added that the AI system that was created using convolutional neural network enables a device to take shots of plants and split the captured image into multiple segments.

According to Mr. Mundia the software would be beneficial for small scale and large scale farmers because of its ability to be implemented on drones, phones and other security cameras which would save them time from scouting fields themselves.

“I am considering having it installed in fields as a complete implementation that will send be sending information wirelessly although, the presentation and enactment will depend on how the market embraces the new development,” he said

He further explained that this would enable grow the Agricultural sector as the world was gradually drawing towards an era of the internet of things (I.O.T).

Mr. Mundia stated that AI Configuration system was a big project that was currently on software and undergoing testing because it still had a few more stages of development to undergo before it could be initiated on cloud technology and the market.

According to the Engineering student the AI system is scheduled for release in a month once it is ready for production.

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