AMMAN — When
COVID-19
measures were first put into place, one of the most often flouted rules
involved mask wearing. Now, 19-year-old undergraduate, Rakan Armoush, said he
has a solution.
اضافة اعلان
The developer created an
autonomous and adaptive mask face detector, or facial recognition software,
that detects those breaking COVID-19 measures.
Despite regulations and
penalties issued through Jordan’s Defence Orders to prevent the spread of COVID,
wearing face masks is still not universal in Jordan.
According to a recent report from the Ministry of Industry, Trade, and
Supply, more than 20,000 establishments were shut down for violating
regulations from October 25, 2020 to January 29, 2021. And inspection teams
fined over 108 people and 130 establishments on May 25, 2021 alone.
Embedded into any “real-time
camera or webcam”, Armoush’s face mask detector can determine on its own if a
person is wearing a mask or not, he said in an interview with Jordan News.
The sophomore, who studies
data science and artificial intelligence at Princess Sumaya University for
Technology (
PSUT), said he “built the (tracker) from scratch”.
Utilizing artificial
intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning, Armoush “programmed and
trained the machine” by having it analyze visual imagery and online data sets.
“Machine learning is similar to teaching a young child,” Armoush said.
Through exposure to labeled images of human faces, machines extract knowledge
from offered data to eventually become able to make independent decisions and
cope with dynamic environments.
“Other than the data set, I
developed the whole network,” the young developer added.
In addition to potentially
suppressing COVID-19 transmissions, the face mask detector could have further
applications. For example, the detector could possibly be used to plug loopholes in smartphones’ face
IDs, which often fail to recognize a user when they are wearing a mask, Armoush
said.
The aspiring student also
suggested that other features could be added to the innovation. “The system
might further (be used to) spot incorrect mask wearing instances; as when the
mask hangs off one ear, leaves the nose exposed, or rests under the chin,”
Armoush said.
‘Aim for more than required’
This is not the first time
Armoush has garnered attention, he finished first place in the 2021 WiDS
Datathon Stanford competition nationwide, ranking 41st among 808 teams
worldwide.
Armoush and three other
student developed “an AI model that forecasts if someone has a certain type of
diabetes called diabetes mellitus,” he said.
Armoush is also the youngest receiver of Google’s TensorFlow
Developer Certificate, among only four certified holders in Jordan so far.
The ambitious programmer, who
is also the president of the Data Science Club at PSUT, highlighted the
importance of extracurricular activities and encouraged students “to aim for
more than required, and always take an extra step forward to stand out from the
crowd.”
Armoush addressed some of the
beliefs people may have about AI. The legacy of science fiction has fostered
the belief that AI is only about humanoid robotics, which might “turn against
humans or even conquer the world,” he said.
The developer’s work,
however, demonstrates how AI is not a single dimension but can be used in
various advancements to “make the world a better place,” he said.
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