Data Core and DS4CG Red Cross Project Featured in Inside UMass

For the second summer of our partnership with the Red Cross, the Data Science for the Common Good (DS4CG) team’s focus was to integrate DISCount, UMass Computer Vision Lab’s new approach to estimating counts in object detection, into the Red Cross’ workflow for counting damaged buildings after a disaster. Our lightweight model helps responders save time and effort in determining the disaster’s impact and severity, which ultimately helps the Red Cross deliver aid quickly.

In the Inside UMass article titled “New Computer Vision Tool Wins Price for Social Impact,” Subhransu Maji, associate professor of information and computer sciences at UMass Amherst, discusses how DISCount came to be in collaboration with the Center for Data Science. Research surrounding DISCount was published by the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, and has been recognized by that association with an award for the best paper on AI for social impact.