Welcome to Rakshak, an app designed to create a community for stray animals and connect animal lovers, volunteers, and organizations to improve the lives of stray animals in need. 🌍💖
By combining technology and compassion, Rakshak bridges the gap between road safety challenges, animal welfare, and community engagement, ensuring safer streets and healthier lives for both stray animals and humans.
Our mission is simple: to bridge the gap between animal lovers and stray animals, providing adoption, medical care, and resources to make sure every animal gets the love and care they deserve.
Rakshak is a simple, user-friendly app that allows anyone to contribute to the welfare of stray animals, whether they're looking to adopt, vaccinate, feed, or provide temporary care. Rakshak connects animal lovers, volunteers, and organizations, creating a united front to improve the lives of stray animals.
By integrating AI and IoT, Rakshak also tackles road safety issues involving stray animals, offering solutions that protect animals and drivers, ensuring safer roads and smarter cities.
Stray animals of all species face numerous challenges, including:
- Road Accidents: Stray animals wandering on streets pose risks for drivers and themselves, often leading to accidents. 🚗🐕
- Rabies and Disease Risk: Stray animals can carry diseases like rabies, which can spread to humans. In India, stray animals contribute to the spread of rabies, leading to over 20,000 deaths annually. 🦠
- Public Safety: Stray animals, whether they are dogs, cats, or larger animals, can pose a threat to public safety due to potential aggression or illness. 🚶♂️
⚠️ - Lack of Adoption Opportunities: Many stray animals are left without homes, suffering in the streets due to limited adoption resources. 🏚️
These issues highlight the need for effective solutions that improve the lives of all stray animals, ensure their health, and reduce their impact on public safety.
Rakshak provides a platform where people can:
- Adopt stray animals 🏡
- Vaccinate stray animals to protect them and the community 💉
- Feed and provide care for animals in need 🍖
- Foster and volunteer to help care for stray animals 🐾
- Report Lost and Found Animals using AI-powered image matching 🐕🐈
- Road Safety Enhancements: Integrate AI and IoT to prevent accidents involving stray animals 🛣️.
Rakshak enables a community of animal lovers, NGOs, and volunteers to collaborate, ensuring the well-being of stray animals.
Users can post and browse profiles of stray animals for adoption. Temporary adoption for specific durations (e.g., vacations or emergencies) is also supported.
AI algorithms identify animal species, health conditions, and unique features through uploaded images, making it easier to categorize and assist animals.
Locate nearby animal daycare houses and feeding stations through an integrated map. Users can mark feeding locations to guide others in the community.
Rakshak allows users to sign up as volunteers for rescues, feeding, or fostering. Donation drives for food, medical supplies, and shelters are seamlessly organized via the app.
If someone finds a lost pet or stray animal, they can post its photo and location on the app. Pet owners can upload photos of their lost pets, and AI will compare these images with the database of found animals. Matches are highlighted, connecting owners with the person who found their pet or stray animal.
IoT sensors and AI models detect animal movement near roads, alerting drivers via: In-vehicle notifications 🚨.
Dynamic LED signage on roads 🛑.
Ultrasonic deterrents to keep animals away from high-risk areas 🔊.
If an accident involving a stray animal occurs, users can quickly report the incident via the app:
Provide location details and upload photos to alert nearby volunteers and authorities.
Connect with veterinarians for immediate medical support.
Notify NGOs or rescue organizations for further care.
AI-powered features prioritize reports based on urgency and proximity to support swift action.
Users share stories, photos, and updates about stray animals, fostering a supportive network.
AI predicts nearby animal population trends to suggest focused rescue efforts. Personalized recommendations on how users can help based on their location and activity.
If users find a wounded or sick animal, they can immediately connect with veterinarians through the app for advice or to arrange for medical assistance.
The Rakshak app was developed using the following technologies:
- Kotlin & Java for Android development 📱
- IoT Sensors & Devices: For real-time animal detection and warning systems.
- Firebase for authentication, real-time database, and cloud storage 🔥
- Google Maps API for geolocation and mapping nearby animal care centers 🗺️
- ARCore for AR-based animal recognition (future feature) 🤳
- AI & Machine Learning for image recognition (e.g., animal health detection and lost pet matching) 🧠
Rakshak uses AI and IoT technologies to address stray animal road safety challenges in innovative ways:
Infrared cameras and thermal imaging detect animals, even in low-light conditions. AI recognizes species and predicts their movement patterns, triggering alerts for drivers. 🌙🔍
Machine Learning models analyze accident data, identifying high-risk times and locations for stray animal crossings. Enables proactive interventions like dynamic speed limits and targeted awareness campaigns.
AI-powered alerts notify drivers in real-time via integrated apps or vehicle dashboards.
Helps reduce reaction times and avoid collisions. 🚗
Ultrasonic devices and reflective markers guide animals away from roads without causing harm. Ensures a humane approach to managing animal movement. 🐾🔊
The Rakshak project aligns closely with the UN Principles, particularly Goal 3: Good Health and Well-Being and Goal 15: Life on Land. By providing a platform for the adoption, medical care, and vaccination of stray animals, Rakshak promotes the health and well-being of both animals and humans. It helps reduce the risk of zoonotic diseases, such as rabies, by ensuring proper veterinary care and tracking of immunizations. Additionally, Rakshak directly contributes to Goal 15, as it focuses on the protection and welfare of stray animals, enhancing biodiversity and supporting sustainable ecosystems. Through adoption, care, and rescue efforts, Rakshak fosters a compassionate environment for animals, helping to preserve life on land and ensuring healthier, safer communities.