Bill Gates Turns to Computer Vision to Eradicate Malaria [Video]

Microsoft founder Bill Gates has announced the use of computer vision technology as a crucial development in the battle against malaria, a disease that kills over 600,000 people annually. 

In a blog post, Gates introduced VectorCam, an app developed by Dr. Soumya Acharya and his team at Johns Hopkins University, with support from the Gates Foundation and Uganda’s malaria control program. The app allows for the rapid identification of mosquito species, a critical task in controlling the spread of malaria.

VectorCam utilises a smartphone and an inexpensive lens to identify mosquitoes in seconds, distinguishing between species, determining their sex, and even assessing if a female mosquito has recently fed on blood or developed eggs. The technology is currently being tested in Uganda, where it is already proving useful in adjusting insecticide …