Divya Budihal

Daniel Björkegren, Jun Ho Choi, Divya Budihal et al.

Although 85% of sub-Saharan Africa's population is covered by mobile broadband signal, only 37% use the internet, and those who do seldom use the web. The most frequently cited reason for low internet usage is the cost of data. We investigate whether AI can bridge this gap by analyzing 40,350 queries submitted to an AI chatbot by 469 teachers in Sierra Leone over 17 months. Teachers use AI for teaching assistance more frequently than web search. We compare the AI responses to the corresponding top search results for the same queries from the most popular local web search engine, google.com.sl. Only 2% of results for corresponding web searches contain content from in country. Additionally, the average web search result consumes 3,107 times more data than an AI response. Bandwidth alone costs \$2.41 per thousand web search results loaded, while the total cost of AI is \$0.30 per thousand responses. As a result, AI is 87% less expensive than web search. In blinded evaluations, an independent sample of teachers rate AI responses as more relevant, helpful, and correct than web search results. These findings suggest that AI-driven solutions can cost-effectively bridge information gaps in low-connectivity regions.

Alaa Eldin Abdelaal, Nancy Hong, Apeksha Avinash et al.

We propose a new method for six-degree-of-freedom (6-DoF) autonomous camera movement for minimally invasive surgery, which, unlike previous methods, takes into account both the position and orientation information from structures in the surgical scene. In addition to locating the camera for a good view of the manipulated object, our autonomous camera takes into account workspace constraints, including the horizon and safety constraints. We developed a simulation environment to test our method on the "wire chaser" surgical training task from validated training curricula in conventional laparoscopy and robot-assisted surgery. Furthermore, we propose, for the first time, the application of the proposed autonomous camera method in video-based surgical skill assessment, an area where videos are typically recorded using fixed cameras. In a study with N=30 human subjects, we show that video examination of the autonomous camera view as it tracks the ring motion over the wire leads to more accurate user error (ring touching the wire) detection than when using a fixed camera view, or camera movement with a fixed orientation. Our preliminary work suggests that there are potential benefits to autonomous camera positioning informed by scene orientation, and this can direct designers of automated endoscopes and surgical robotic systems, especially when using chip-on-tip cameras that can be wristed for 6-DoF motion.