January-February Newsletter |
Hello Broadcast,
Welcome back to DSAIL Mail! I hope you get to enjoy the read on what we have been up to in the last couple of months. |
Shoutout
TreeVision Featured by Voice of America |
Our work in forest conservation has been featured recently on Voice of America (VOA) news. Watch Cedric Kiplimo as he showcases DSAIL TreeVision, a software application for extracting tree biophysical parameters such as diameter at breast height and tree height using stereoscopic vision. This technology is part of our efforts to develop AI methodologies that will facilitate fast, reliable, and scalable monitoring of forests in our African context. You can watch the news feature on YouTube. |
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Conferences and Workshops
AGU 2024 |
Two DSAIL team members, Cedric Kiplimo and Austin Kaburia, presented posters at AGU 2024 in Washington DC. Cedric presented his poster in person while Austin made a virtual presentation. Their abstracts, titled “Using Drone Imagery and Deep Learning to Monitor a Reforested Stand in Kenya” and “Do Low Cost Weather Stations complement Numerical Weather Predictions?”, had earlier been accepted to AGU Fall Meeting 2024.
These presentations represent important progress in DSAIL’s research in the areas of forest monitoring and weather forecasting. The American Geophysical Union Fall Meeting is the largest gathering of earth and space scientists that brings together at least 25,000 scientists every year to present cutting edge research that advances knowledge in earth and space sciences. We are proud to have had our research presented at such a prestigious platform as AGU.
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Conferences and Workshops
Aga Khan Annual Early Career Researcher Symposium |
Clinton Mwangi attended the 8th Aga Khan Annual Early Career Researcher Symposium, an event that provided an invaluable platform for young researchers to engage, learn, and contribute to the evolving discourse on health and technology. He presented a poster showcasing his ongoing research on monitoring and assessing orthopedic lower limb deformities.
The symposium, themed “Advancing Equity Through Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare and Health Education,” highlighted the transformative potential of AI in enhancing healthcare outcomes and education systems globally, with a particular focus on low-resource settings.
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Conferences and Workshops
Visit to Cambridge |
Prof. Ciira wa Maina and Gabriel Kiarie visited Cambridge, UK, from 23 November to 1 December 2024. During their visit, they attended the AI for Science Summit 2024 on 25–26 November. Prof Ciira delivered a keynote address titled AI and Science: An Opportunity to Strengthen the African Scientific Landscape. They also participated in the International Computation and AI Network (ICAIN) workshop on 27 November, where Prof. Ciira presented on the ICAIN Pilot Project: Improved Weather Prediction for Sustainable Agriculture. Additionally, they visited ARM Holdings Ltd, where they gave a presentation and met with a team of engineers from the organisation. |
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FieldWork
Data Collection Exercise in Kieni Forest |
A team from DSAIL and the Institute of Geomatics, GIS & Remote Sensing (IGGReS) collected data in Kieni Forest in February focusing on tree attributes and forest dynamics with drone technology. This collaboration captured high-resolution images and tree data, essential for advancing forest ecology, conservation, and sustainable resource management.
A highlight included scenic views of Elephant Hill, allowing the team to observe wildlife and emphasising flora and fauna coexistence. Despite challenges, the data collection offered a thrilling opportunity to engage with nature and contribute to scientific research. Insights gained will guide future conservation efforts and policies to preserve Kieni Forest's biodiversity, underscoring the need to merge technology with environmental science for innovative protection of our natural world.
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Conferences and Workshops
AMI System at DeKUWC |
At Dedan Kimathi University’s Wildlife Conservancy (DeKUWC), we are transforming insect population monitoring through the AMBER project, supported by the UK Centre for Ecology and Hydrology. We track nocturnal insects, which are key indicators of ecosystem health. Our equipment captures images at night, revealing activity patterns and biodiversity trends while addressing concerns over declining populations due to climate change and habitat loss.
Despite the challenges of deploying the AMI system in a remote conservancy, we strengthened our ecological monitoring approach. We plan to incorporate artificial intelligence for species identification and behavioral analysis to enhance our conservation efforts. This initiative has inspired us to contribute to Kenya’s biodiversity and exemplify how technology can effectively support sustainable environmental monitoring.
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We are excited to welcome our new research interns including Mary Kariuki (who will be focusing on Natural language processing), Leonard Sanya (computer vision and NLP), Samuel Mbugua (computer vision) and Emason Mutuma (reinforcement learning and hardware). Their contribution will strengthen our research efforts and with their addition, DSAIL continues to grow driving forward ML and AI research. |
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It was great catching up.
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