Posted by Eric ShangKuan, Developer Relations Program Supervisor, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and South Asia Frontier.
Combating Counterfeit Foreign money in Northern Pakistan with Expertise
Counterfeit foreign money stays a big situation in smaller and distant cities of Pakistan, such because the Gilgit Baltistan area of Northern Pakistan. Ahsan Aman, a Google Developer Scholar Golf equipment (GDSC) Lead at COMSATS Wah College in Islamabad, grew up in a small city within the area and watched residents and shopkeepers turn into victims of counterfeiting.
Counterfeiting is outlined because the act of imitating one thing genuine, with the intent to steal, destroy, or change the unique, to be used in unlawful transactions, or in any other case with the intent to deceive people into believing that the faux is of equal or better worth than the actual factor.
When Ahsan’s mom acquired a faux 5,000 Rupee observe from a shopkeeper, Ahsan determined there have to be a technical strategy to handle the issue. Ahsan believed a cellular utility may supply a manner for odd individuals who can’t afford the delicate authentication expertise banks use.
“It was clear that frequent folks didn’t have the means to confirm or differentiate between actual and faux notes,” says Ahsan. “This made me marvel if at this time’s expertise may very well be employed to handle this downside.”
With the help from his GDSC mentors primarily based in Islamabad and his native GDSC chapter, Ahsan launched into a challenge to construct an android utility that aimed to establish counterfeit foreign money. Ahsan’s Android cellular utility, 5Hazar, gives a proof of idea for a counterfeit detection cellular utility that will allow customers to scan foreign money notes and establish counterfeit cash.
GDSC and Technical Talent Constructing
The appliance makes use of digital picture processing made attainable by Google Teachable Machine. Ahsan additionally repurposed a lens as an reasonably priced {hardware} part–customers can connect the lens to a telephone digicam, open the appliance, and take an image of a financial institution observe. Inside ten seconds, the machine studying algorithm can detect whether or not the observe is actual or a faux.
A technical strategy results in new alternatives
“I really feel actually proud as a result of not solely do folks see worth within the device I constructed, however I additionally bought to pitch my thought at a number of hackathons as a Google Developer Scholar Membership lead,” says Ahsan.
“Via these alternatives, I bought invited to work with a number one startup incubation heart, and now I’ve a devoted group working to enhance and scale this concept. I’ve examined the appliance with over 200 clients and shopkeepers, and I’m very excited to see that the suggestions is optimistic and inspiring.”
Ahsan says he’s having fun with his journey of studying new expertise, constructing a device to handle an issue in his group, and now scaling it broadly.
The Highway Forward
“I strongly consider that at the same time as pupil programmers, now we have the chance and privilege to enhance the lives of individuals round us with the expertise we construct,” Ahsan says. “I encourage each pupil to seek out and participate in such alternatives the place you’ll be able to be taught, join, and develop.”
Google Developer Scholar Golf equipment (GDSC) are group teams for faculty and college college students like Ahsan who’re eager about Google developer applied sciences.
With over 1500+ chapters in 113 nations, GDSC goals to empower builders like Ahsan to assist their communities by constructing technical options. If you happen to’re a pupil and want to be a part of a Google Developer Scholar Membership group, search for a chapter close to you right here, or go to this system web page to be taught extra about beginning one in your space.
