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Prof. Anirudha Joshi


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Source: India,  

Tenure: 1998 to Present

Date: 1998

Medium: Photograph

Credits: IDC


Detailed Description

Prof. Anirudha Joshi is a faculty member and head of the Industrial Design Centre (IDC) at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IITB). His research focuses on various aspects of interaction design, user experience, and the integration of emerging technologies into design practices. His work often explores how design can enhance user interactions and improve the usability of technology in everyday life. Prof. Joshi has contributed to understanding how users interact with various products and systems, aiming to enhance their overall experience through thoughtful design. He has worked on developing and refining methodologies that guide designers in creating user-centric products and solutions. Prof. Joshi has published numerous papers and articles in academic journals and conferences, contributing to the body of knowledge in design and interaction. His work is recognised for advancing the understanding of how design impacts user experiences and technology integration.



Projects

TAMA (Treatment Advice by Mobile Alerts) | Swarachakra The Complete Keyboard

Prof. Anirudha Joshi developed an interactive voice response (IVR) system called TAMA (Treatment Advise by Mobile Alerts) that provides treatment support to PLHA on ART. TAMA provides daily pill-time reminders, lets PLHA look up remedies for common symptoms, and provides authenticated information to PLHA in 30-second audio nuggets. Based on the feedback, they developed a production version of TAMA in 2012 in 6 languages (Marathi, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, and English). In the years 2012–2013, they deployed TAMA with 54 PLHA in 5 HIV clinics in India for a period of 12 weeks as a pilot study. They gathered feedback about TAMA's design and usage. We found that TAMA was usable and viable in the real-life settings of PLHA and had many desirable effects on their treatment adherence. Since the year 2013, TAMA has been undergoing a randomised control trial where about 300 PLHA will use TAMA and their medical outcomes will be compared with a control group of another 300 PLHA. Another project by Prof. Anirudha Joshi Swarachakra the complete keyboard. Swarachakra in each language has been specially designed by teams of experts who also happen to be native speakers of those respective languages. Thus, the designs for Hindi and Marathi differ slightly from each other (though both languages use the Devanagari script), supporting users to type the nuanced differences between the two languages. The designs for Assamese and Bengali are different from each other. The Punjabi and Tamil keyboards are substantially different from Hindi. Typing conjuncts particularly hard in most Indian languages. But Swarachakra makes it easy.


Swarachakra

Swarachakra is a popular virtual keyboard designed for Indian languages, created under the guidance of Prof. Anirudha Joshi from the Industrial Design Centre (IDC), IIT Bombay. The keyboard is specifically developed to address the challenges of typing in Indian scripts on mobile devices, which often require more complex input systems compared to the Roman alphabet used in English. Swarachakra supports several Indian languages, including Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, and others. The keyboard uses a unique "chakra" layout, where each vowel or consonant is arranged in a circular (chakra) manner around the base character, making it easier for users to find the appropriate form of a letter or its combination. Indian scripts often require combining consonants with vowels or other consonants (e.g., ligatures). Swarachakra makes this process intuitive by organising all possible character combinations in proximity to the base character. Prof. Anirudha Joshi has a strong focus on human-computer interaction (HCI) and designing solutions for underserved user groups, particularly in the Indian context. The development of Swarachakra reflects his emphasis on creating technology that is culturally relevant and user-friendly for native language speakers.


Keylekh: a keyboard for text entry in indic scripts

Prof. Anirudha Joshi and his team at the Industrial Design Centre (IDC), IIT Bombay designed Keylekh, a significant virtual keyboard, to facilitate text entry in Indian scripts on digital platforms. Like Swarachakra, Keylekh is aimed at addressing the challenges of typing in complex Indic scripts, but it adopts a slightly different approach to text input. Keylekh is based on a phonetic typing system. Users can type Indic characters using Roman alphabet equivalents, which are then automatically converted into the corresponding characters in the target Indian script. This helps users who are familiar with the Roman script but may not be accustomed to typing in native scripts. The keyboard supports a wide range of Indian scripts, making it versatile for users across India who speak and write in different languages like Hindi, Marathi, Bengali, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, and others. As users type in phonetic Roman letters, the system dynamically converts them into the correct Indic script, allowing users to see the text in real-time. This immediate feedback ensures that users can quickly correct mistakes and learn the mapping between the Roman and Indic characters. Keylekh stands out as an innovative approach to digital text entry in Indian languages. It simplifies the typing process for a broad user base, particularly for those more familiar with Roman characters than complex Indian scripts. This keyboard is part of Prof. Anirudha Joshi’s broader mission to make technology accessible to underserved communities by designing culturally appropriate and user-friendly interfaces.


Supporting Treatment of People Living with HIV / AIDS in Resource Limited Settings with IVRs

The project "Supporting Treatment of People Living with HIV/AIDS in Resource-Limited Settings with IVRs" was led by Prof. Anirudha Joshi from the Industrial Design Centre (IDC), IIT Bombay. The project focusses on using Interactive Voice Response (IVR) technology to provide support to people living with HIV/AIDS in resource-constrained environments, where access to healthcare infrastructure and medical support may be limited. IVR (Interactive Voice Response) is a technology that allows users to interact with a system through voice commands and key presses. In this project, IVR was used to provide automated voice-based support to people living with HIV/AIDS. The IVR system was designed to be multilingual, offering support in local languages to ensure that patients could understand the information provided. This was crucial in regions where multiple languages are spoken and literacy rates may be low. The project involved close collaboration with local healthcare providers and NGOs working with HIV/AIDS patients. This ensured that the system was tailored to the specific needs of the patient population and integrated with existing healthcare services.


Interactive visualisations for reheating furnaces for National Institute of Secondary Steel Technology

Prof. Anirudha Joshi from IDC IIT Bombay worked on interactive visualisations for reheating furnaces for the National Institute of Secondary Steel Technology (NISST). The project focused on creating tools that visually represented the complex processes involved in reheating furnaces used in the steel industry. Reheating furnaces are crucial in the steel production process as they heat steel to a temperature suitable for further processing, such as rolling. However, the operations can be intricate, involving variables like temperature control, fuel consumption, and furnace efficiency. Prof. Joshi's interactive visualisations aimed to simplify these complexities, enabling operators and engineers to better understand and optimise furnace operations. These visualisations likely included dynamic models of the furnace environment, heat distribution, and process flows, allowing users to simulate different scenarios and observe the effects in real-time.


Extending mMitra, study of a mobile phone based support for urban poor pregnant women in India through pregnancy and infancy in their chosen language with Dasra / Armaan / Johnson & Johnson

The "Extending mMitra" project, led by Prof. Anirudha Joshi at IDC IIT Bombay, focusses on supporting urban poor pregnant women in India through their pregnancy and infancy phases. The initiative is a mobile phone-based platform that delivers essential health-related information to women in their chosen language, providing guidance and support during pregnancy and early motherhood. Dasra, Armaan, and Johnson & Johnson collaborated on the project to enhance maternal and child health outcomes. The mMitra platform provides voice calls or messages that cover critical topics such as nutrition, prenatal care, infant care, immunisation, and more. This personalised communication system helps overcome language barriers and provides timely advice for women who might not have easy access to healthcare services.


Inclusive interaction design patterns for visually impaired, with Tata Consultancy Services

The project on Inclusive Interaction Design patterns for the visually impaired by Prof. Anirudha Joshi from IDC IIT Bombay, in collaboration with Tata Consultancy Services (TCS), focusses on creating digital interfaces that are accessible and usable for people with visual impairments. The goal is to identify common patterns in the design of interfaces that cater to the needs of visually impaired users, ensuring inclusivity in technology.


Voice-based netbanking for the elderly, with Bank of Baroda

The Voice-based Netbanking for the Elderly project, led by Prof. Anirudha Joshi, IDC IITB, in collaboration with Bank of Baroda, aims to make digital banking more accessible to senior citizens. Recognising that many elderly users face challenges with conventional online banking interfaces due to difficulties with technology, the project seeks to offer a more intuitive and user-friendly solution through voice interaction. The banking system is designed to be navigated via voice commands, making it easier for elderly users who may not be comfortable with traditional touchscreen or text-based inputs. Common banking tasks like checking balances, transferring money, or paying bills can be accomplished through simple, guided voice interactions.