Kennesaw State student uses smartphone images, artificial intelligence to check nutritional information of foods.

KENNESAW, Ga. | November 25, 2024

A simple “food selfie” may contain important nutritional information, and a smartphone application developed by students at Kennesaw State University may be the key to providing that information as information that can be used by people watching their eating habits.

KSU graduate student Afnan Ahmed Crystal has teamed up with assistant professor of information technology Maria Valero and doctoral student El Arbi Belfarsi on The Nutrilyzer, a device that can extract nutritional information from a smartphone image. . Like Valero’s revolutionary GlucoCheck device, a non-invasive blood glucose monitoring system, the device will allow people to monitor their daily eating habits with artificial intelligence (AI).

“We are trying to create an app that complements the GlucoCheck app, which allows users to enter accurate information, take a simple photo with their smartphone, and get an estimate of nutritional content using AI. This estimate will be used monitoring the impact of blood sugar along with the GlucoCheck device. We believe this device can empower people to make better decisions about nutrition,” said Crystal, who will graduate next month with a Master of Science in Computer Science.

A key feature of the application is its use of AI. That’s where Belfarsi’s master of linguistics majors (LLMs) come into play. Initially employed as a data analyst in a trading firm, he became interested in LLMs and wanted to apply his knowledge to health information systems. He saw the potential of AI to help people make better decisions about nutrition.

“Most languages ​​are designed primarily to handle text data,” said Belfarsi, who is pursuing a Ph.D. in Computer Science. When processing images, they rely on other features such as Contrastive Language–Image Pretraining (CLIP), which is trained to match images with their textual descriptions. Therefore, when looking for nutritional information, we use advanced computer vision techniques that complement the capabilities of LLM. ”

Valero credits the two students for pooling their experience and addressing potential challenges, such as regional cuisine that can create racial bias to provide accurate information. The tool is also designed to change the view based on the size of the sections. It’s all part of the Internet of Things as the Service Research Group’s goal of helping people live healthier lives through technology.

“After that, we’re going to put out an application to people, ask them to use our continuous glucose devices, and collect data,” Valero said. “With that data, we will be able to create a model for an individual prediction of how your sugar will behave. In addition, the device can offer other practices such as exercise to reduce lifestyle and data the rest. “

The plan is not intended to replace a nutritionist or nutritionist, but to augment the human role with a valuable tool that anyone can use. Future device models may consider exercise patterns recorded through wearable technology such as Fitbits or Apple Watches.

“The main goal is to measure whether LLMs can pass the dietitian exam, or vice versa,” Crystal said. “The second point is to leverage AI to make the right decisions about nutrition and improve people’s lives. We plan to integrate other wearable devices and push personal data from these clothes. to AI to improve its responses.”

Nutrilyzer is in early testing with a potential launch this spring.

Story by Dave Shelles

Photo by Matt Yung

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A leader in innovation and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees to its more than 47,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University of Georgia with 11 colleges of education. The university’s vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties and entrepreneurial spirit attract students from across the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a designated Carnegie (R2) medical research institution, placing it among only the top 7 percent of US colleges and universities with R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.