- Techie from Bengaluru developed AI device that detects and scolds smokers in public spaces
- Device uses computer vision to spot cigarettes and plays audio of baby coughs and granny scolding
- Prototype built on Raspberry Pi with YOLOv8 and MediaPipe, audio by Sarvam AI, with portable plans
A techie from Bengaluru has developed a viral AI-powered device that detects smokers in public spaces and "scolds" them using audio cues. The device deters smokers by playing a baby's cough and a grandmother's scolding when it detects smoking nearby. The techie named Pankaj shared the project on social media, saying he built it because he hates public smoking.
"I HATE people smoking around me in public. So I built a device that plays audio of a baby coughing and Granny abusing in the local language whenever it detects someone smoking nearby. It does person detection, spots a cigarette in hand, and detects smoking gesture. all in real-time," he wrote on X.
See the post here:
How does it work?
The device uses real-time computer vision to perform person detection, identify cigarettes in hand, and recognise specific smoking gestures. When a smoker is detected, the device plays audio of a baby coughing followed by a grandmother scolding the person in the local language.
The prototype is built on a Raspberry Pi using YOLOv8 and MediaPipe for visual detection, while Sarvam AI handled the audio components. While currently a prototype, the developer is reportedly working on a 3D-printed portable version for easier public use.
During early real-world testing at a bus stand, the device successfully prompted a smoker to put out his cigarette after hearing the audio. "Tested at a bus stand today. one guy actually looked around confused and put out his cigarette. he'll never know it was me," Pankaj wrote.
In Karnataka, public smoking carries a fine of Rs 1,000, and this tool acts as a "community-driven" enforcement mechanism.
The techie's previous project
Earlier, the techie built BuffetGPT - an AI tool that scans the entire wedding buffet, laden with a huge list of dishes. It then prepares a personalised eating plan based on your stomach's capacity, while keeping in mind maximum optimisation of the available food options.
However, he alleged that he received death threats after creating the AI-powered tool too. According to him, the backlash included intense negative comments and direct messages, some of which allegedly targeted his family. Pankaj said he was open to criticism and online trolling but was disturbed by the nature of the threats.
