Hands-On AI for Everyone: Using Drones, Jumping Jacks, Gestures, and Skincare Product Labels

Artificial intelligence (AI) is all around us, yet it often seems enigmatic and challenging to master. To bridge this gap, we developed a series of Hands-On AI workshops by making AI creation, testing, and deployment accessible to everyone through interactive and engaging sessions.

BRING YOUR LAPTOP.

In our featured workshop, "Farm-to-Plate AI," we delve into the agricultural domain. In a simulation environment, the participants fly a drone mounted with LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) to survey mango orchards while avoiding collisions. Participants use object detection algorithms to count fruit. They train regression models to evaluate ripeness of fruits from hyperspectral images, gaining insights into the farm-to-table journey and AI’s impact on food production with hands-on exercises.

Workshops in the series include “Pocket AI and IoT: Turn Your Phone into a Smart Fitness Tracker,” “Beyond the Label: AI Techniques for Healthier Personal Care Choices,” “Do You See What I See?” “Catching Fire: Autonomous Drones to Track and Detect Wildfires,” and “Mars Rover.”

Designed for a diverse audience ranging from middle schoolers to retirees from technical and non-technical fields, the workshops are ideal for community outreach. Participants only need a laptop with a web browser, a stable Wi-Fi connection, a free MathWorks account, and optionally a smartphone. These workshops have been successfully conducted across continents, and are available in multiple languages, ensuring broad and inclusive reach.

We will share insights and reflections on designing sessions that initiate important conversations about AI, such as addressing bias, understanding model cards, and verifying AI models, ensuring that participants not only learn technical skills in fun ways but also engage with the ethical and societal implications of AI.

As we continue to expand this series, we underscore the transformative power of experiential education in making cutting-edge technology accessible to all.