Ajman University Faculty win Prestigious QS Reimagine Award for AI-based Innovation

Their project, EchoV, utilized the latest AI technologies to develop an Innovative & transformative assistive learning solution for the hearing impaired

Ajman University alumni and faculty, Wessam Shehieb and Ali Mohammed Ridha, have won the Silver Award for Artificial Intelligence at the prestigious QS Reimagine Education Awards, 2020. Under their project called EchoV, they developed an Augmented Reality-based solution for the hearing impaired which will facilitate their learning and interaction with other individuals and the surrounding environment.

Wessam Shehieb is Assistant Instructor in the Electrical Engineering Department of Ajman University’s College of Engineering & Information Technology, while Ali Mohammed Ridha is Research Assistant in the same department. Their project EchoV was shortlisted for consideration from over 1500 projects worldwide, along with 119 other projects spanning 13 categories. It went on to win the Silver Award in the AI category after being selected as one of the top 10 AI projects.

EchoV was born out of the realization that educational institutions lack assistive technologies for the hearing impaired that can aid their learning.

Keeping this in mind, they created a software for AR-based glasses that has four key features aimed at enhancing learning and interaction for the hearing impaired. Real time speech to text, as the name suggests, converts speech from multiple simultaneous conversations into easy to read text, while speech emotion recognition uses emojis to convey the mood of the person speaking. Classroom assistive tools make it easier to take notes during lectures while also featuring an exam mode.

With environmental sounds indication, hearing impaired individuals can be helped to identify surrounding sound patterns such as broken glass sound, car horn and other ambient noises.

Wessam and Ali Mohammed worked hard to overcome multiple challenges in terms of technological feasibility and affordability to come up with a unique and innovative educational tool for the hearing impaired. Their win at QS Reimagine is a well-deserved victory for creative endeavor aimed at using the latest technologies to resolve learning challenges for the differently abled and fostering inclusivity.

QS Reimagine, informally referred to as the ‘Oscars of Education’ rewards innovative approaches that enhance student learning outcomes and employability.