Overview
Kumaraguru Institutions, in collaboration with Harvard University, is developing a Computer Vision-based Human-Elephant Conflict Early Warning System to support proactive wildlife conservation and community safety. Backed by a 2026–27 grant from the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard University, the initiative demonstrates how student-led innovation can address real-world conservation challenges through artificial intelligence and data-driven solutions.
About
The initiative brings together 13 students who are training neural networks using elephant footage to develop an intelligent early warning system. The system aims to identify individual elephants, track matriarchs and known crop-raiding elephants, and detect potential signs of injury or distress. By integrating real-time elephant movement data into a dashboard, the system is designed to provide timely alerts to forest personnel and nearby communities, enabling proactive responses before potential human-elephant encounters occur. The project highlights the potential of computer vision and AI to strengthen wildlife monitoring, support informed decision-making, and promote coexistence between people and elephants. With student innovation at its core, the collaboration represents a significant step towards technology-enabled conservation and safer shared landscapes.
Key Highlights
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Collaboration between Kumaraguru Institutions and Harvard University
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Supported by a 2026–27 grant from the Lakshmi Mittal and Family South Asia Institute at Harvard University
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Engagement of 13 students in AI and computer vision model development
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Development of neural networks to identify and monitor individual elephants
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Tracking of matriarchs and known crop-raiding elephants
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Intended detection of potential injury or distress in elephants
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Dashboard-based movement monitoring and early alerts for forest staff and local communities
Focus Areas
AI for Conservation | Human-Elephant Conflict Mitigation | Wildlife Monitoring | Student Innovation | Human-Wildlife Coexistence