Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, one of the eminent academic institutions, has developed a groundbreaking AI-powered monitoring system called “Amrita Elephant Watch” to address the increasing human-wildlife conflicts, particularly involving elephants.

This innovative technology is developed by the University’s Ammachi Labs that aims to harmonise the relationship between humans and large wildlife where the system utilises real-time elephant tracking and AI-powered alerts to strike a balance between human and animal necessities such as giving the elephants access to their basic needs within its perimeter while steering off their movements as well as monitoring them.

Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham is renowned for its innovative research initiatives to address real-world challenges by developing impactful and practical solutions. Amrita Elephant Watch leverages innovative AI algorithms & IOT technology that analyzes video feeds from strategically placed surveillance cameras allowing actual detection and tracking of elephant movements.

It is connected to mobile networks which enables it to send immediate alerts or notifications to farmers, landowners or authorities about the movements of the elephants. This information helps them in taking timely actions and eliminate conflicts.

Speaking about the development, Balu Mohandas Menon, Team Lead, Rural Technologies, Ammachi Labs, Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham, said, “We have an exceptional research team of bright minds who are constantly developing innovative technological solutions to tackle real-world challenges. Amrita Elephant Watch is a major step towards wildlife conservation while protecting the lives of people, their means of survival and livelihood. We are excited to bring this technology to our communities and make a positive impact on the ecosystem.”

The system developed by a team of Ayyappan Ajan, Ramakrishnan K. and B. Gokul Dev led by team lead Balu Mohandas Menon at Ammachi Labs has undergone successful pilot testing in the field, where the surveillance cameras have captured real-time elephant movements and sent alerts to users. The university is now working to bring this innovative technology to the market.

The Amrita Elephant Watch system was recently showcased at the GPAI Summit 2023, where it garnered significant attention and praise from industry experts and policymakers. The university’s efforts have also been recognized by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MEITY), which featured the project on its website under the “AI in Agriculture (Addressing Human-Elephant Conflict in Villages)” initiative.