Have you wondered how we can make a meaningful impact with AI?
A passionate team of four students from the SUSS Artificial Intelligence Interest Group (SUSS AI-IG) did just that at the “Microsoft ASEAN AI for Accessibility Hackathon 2024 (Singapore and Brunei Edition).” Competing as 'Team Pleiades,' they captivated the judges and showcased their innovative spirit against formidable teams from SUSS and the Universiti Teknologi Brunei (UTB).
-kenny-trinh-dang-khoi-a.png?sfvrsn=d089994e_2 "From left to right Lau Qian Tong, Wong Yu Ting Joyce, Dr Eunice Tan Meng Yin (Senior Lecturer, Head of Special Education Programme, S R Nathan School of Human Development), Kenny Trinh Dang Khoi a")
From left to right: Lau Qian Tong, Wong Yu Ting Joyce, Dr Eunice Tan Meng Yin (Senior Lecturer, Head of Special Education Programme, S R Nathan School of Human Development), Kenny Trinh Dang Khoi and Chin Yu Ning
To assist individuals with visual impairments in outfit selection, the team crafted Pleiades, a mobile application that serves as a digital wardrobe assistant. The inspiration for developing a smart wardrobe using AI technology stems from a commitment to empowering vision-impaired individuals to express themselves through personal style. Team Pleaides believes that vision-impaired individuals should have the autonomy to dress in a manner that reflects their unique tastes. This ability to select outfits that align with their preferences can enhance their integration into communities they resonate with and allow them to express themselves authentically.
Through extensive research, the team discovered an exciting opportunity in the market. Existing digital wardrobe applications had yet to address the needs of visually impaired users, missing out on essential assistive technologies. Similarly, AI mobile applications for the visually impaired lacked a digital wardrobe function.
Recognising this potential, the team enthusiastically began developing Pleiades, a digital wardrobe assistant designed to fulfill this important need. Pleiades integrates text-to-speech, speech-to-text, natural language processing and image recognition to offer personalised outfit recommendations and seamless navigation through audio and gesture controls.
Team Pleiades presenting their innovative solution that combines AI technology with seamless navigation controls to assist individuals with visual impairment to pick their outfits
The hard work and dedication of Team Pleiades paid off spectacularly when they clinched 1st place among the competing teams from Singapore and Brunei.
This remarkable accomplishment highlights SUSS students' creativity and commitment to societal impact through technology. Team Pleiades exemplifies how future students can make a transformative difference with perseverance and innovative thinking.
Beaming with smiles, Team Pleiades championed as the winning team at the Microsoft ASEAN AI for Accessibility Hackathon 2024 (Singapore and Brunei Edition)
Kenny Trinh, SUSS Business Analytics Year 4 student, reflected his experience, “This experience taught me the potential of AI, especially in assisting visually impaired individuals. I am grateful for the teamwork and collaboration with fellow AI enthusiasts from SUSS AI-IG.”
Chin Yu Ning, SUSS Finance Year 4 student, shared, “This competition taught me about the struggles of the visually impaired and how daily tasks can be challenging for them. As a society, we should learn to empathise and foster greater inclusivity. I hope there will be an increased adoption of AI technologies to help them gain more accessibility and independence. I am grateful to my team for providing such an insightful learning opportunity.”