Anima is an advanced AI system that analyses the child’s emotional and mental development through his/her artwork.

Project Information

Anima

Grant agreement ID: 854633

DOI

10.3030/854633

Project closed

EC signature date 5 February 2019

Start date 1 January 2019

End date 30 April 2019

Funded under

• INDUSTRIAL LEADERSHIP - Innovation In SMEs

Total cost

€ 71 429,00

EU contribution

€ 50 000,00

Coordinated by

ANIMA EXPRESS-YOURSELF
Israel

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - Anima (Anima is an advanced AI system that analyses the child’s emotional and mental development through his/her artwork.)

Reporting period: 2019-01-01 to 2019-04-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Childhood sexual abuse is recognized as a global problem. Worldwide, approximately 40 million children below the age of 15 are subjected to child abuse every year. However, it is estimated that 1 out of 3 children do not report sexual abuse. Children between 2 and 12 years of age do not always know how to describe their feelings in words, making it difficult to recognize situations of sexual abuse.
The objective of the project was to assess the business and technical feasibility of Anima - a simple, child-friendly AI-based app for use on mobiles and tablets that allows professionals to understand the emotional and mental well-being of children by interpreting their drawings. At the core of Anima solution there are sophisticated AI technologies and algorithms validated by Watson IBM, coupled with 30 years of research work on child abuse by Prof. Rachel Lev-Wiesel. Anima app analyses self-image drawings by using its unique algorithm and send the analysis in real-time to a secure ‘interpreter’ profile

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

From the beginning of the project the team has been working on the definition of the users' requirements, product specifications and key features of the minimum viable product. A sound product development plan has been drafted and the related technical risks have been analysed.

The team has also worked on the business feasibility of the project, engaging with a number of key opinion leaders who provided Anima with strong support. The current market conditions have been studied and the financial projections related to the product commercialisation have been reviewed and updated.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

Interpretation of drawings offers the possibility to interpret the social/emotional, physical, and intellectual state of children, creating an opportunity to identify experience of sexual abuse. However, interpretation of drawings is currently done manually, taking time and requiring specialized expertise. Technology solutions like Anima can help easing and fastening the process, providing drawing interpretation to non-specialized professionals.
Anima can impact the market with Anima is a cost-effective solution that goes beyond a drawing app: it gives vital additional assessment information that not only allows care providers to gain tremendous insights into a child's mental and emotional state, but can also support the identification of child abuse situations.

The team at the IBM conference