Microsoft Learn AI Skills Challenge Pitch Winner: ECO-COGNIZE

This post has been republished via RSS; it originally appeared at: New blog articles in Microsoft Community Hub.

Microsoft Learn AI Skills Challenge wrapped up an incredible learning journey with the AI Solution Pitch Challenge; a showcase of innovation where passionate learners brought their visions to life through the power of AI. These creators shared how they would harness Microsoft's AI technology to craft solutions for the future in a 3-minute video pitch. Out of many, five outstanding winners emerged, each with a unique and compelling vision.

 

This series of blog posts spotlights each creator sharing the transformative potential of their ideas.

 

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I’m Krishna Agarwal, and I’m excited to share my innovative project set to redefine the way farmers work and care for their crops - ECO-COGNIZE!

 

When technology meets agriculture!

 

ECO-COGNIZE Unveiled

Eco-Cognize is more than just a project; it’s a vision to empower farmers particularly in regions like India, where agriculture is a cornerstone of life. The project offers a solution to the challenges of illiteracy and limited access to information faced by many rural farmers, and they make wrong choices and decisions regarding which pesticides to use, how much fertilizer to add, and much more.

ECO-COGNIZE offers a simple yet effective way to continuously monitor plant health, soil conditions, and detect diseases at their earliest stages.

 

How it works

Now, let's get into the nuts and bolts of this project. Farmers, regardless of their literacy level, can use our handheld device. It is placed in the soil and then it measures factors like moisture, pH levels, and minerals.

The collected data is then transmitted to the farmer's mobile phone through the cloud which is available in the designed mobile app.

The data will be classified into simple color codes - green for good and red for concern – which provide immediate results and quick decisions, making it easy for anyone to understand.

All the collected soil data is analyzed and then it offers personalized recommendations for the number and amount of fertilizer to be used, the amount of water needed by the plant, and much more. Perhaps the most exciting aspect is how we utilize soil data analysis to predict crop yields accurately.

 

The farmers will have personalized agricultural advisory services right at their fingertips, which updates them on various aspects of farming like optimized irrigation, fertilizer use, and crop selection.

We also aim to increase the literacy rates among the farmers by providing them with audio and video resources in their native languages, and educating them about crops, diseases, and essential farming practices.

 

This increases productivity as well as promotes sustainable and efficient farming practices.

We’ve used the following Azure AI Services:

  • Azure Machine Learning Studio
  • Azure Cognitive Services (Azure Speech Studio, Azure Bot Service)
  • Azure Custom Vision

Azure Custom Vision's ability with customized image recognition and classification solutions made it my favorite AI technology in this journey to apply to ECO-COGNIZE.

 

The Inspiration

I noticed the struggles in my surroundings faced by illiterate farmers when they had to make decisions regarding the crops and the need for accessible information in the agricultural sector.

My mission aligns with the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 4 (Quality Education) and 15 (Life on Land), with a focus on healthier crops and educating farmers. 

 

Conclusion | Next Steps

Our journey doesn't end here. We want to implement and bring this idea into life and action and then refine and scale ECO-COGNIZE to make it accessible to farmers worldwide. We're excited to continue this journey, working to empower farmers, promote sustainable farming practices, and contribute to a more sustainable future.

 

I extend my heartfelt gratitude for the invaluable opportunities provided by the MS AI Skills Challenge and AI Pitch Challenge. These platforms, along with the insightful feedback and resources shared during my meeting with Microsoft employees have been a cornerstone of my project's development, and I’m truly grateful for it.

 

Looking forward to bringing this idea into action!

 

Feeling inspired? The Microsoft Learn AI Skills Challenge may have ended but the learning never stops! Get started with an AI Learning Path and find a new Microsoft Learn Cloud Skills Challenge to join. Transform your innovative ideas into reality with Azure credits through the Founders Hub. And for the students who dream of making an impact, the Imagine Cup is currently underway!

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