NYUAD Hackathon for Social Good in the Arab World: Focusing on Quantum Computing (QC)

QMarjan: Coral Reef Restoration Optimization

Introduction

QMarjan is a pioneering project combining classical computer vision (CV) techniques and quantum computing to optimize coral reef repopulation strategies, starting with the United Arab Emirates (UAE). By leveraging satellite imagery and quantum algorithms, QMarjan aims to address the global challenge of coral reef degradation.

Demo.mp4

Background

Coral reefs are crucial for marine life and human economies, but are at risk due to climate change. QMarjan's approach uses advanced algorithms to identify the best locations for coral restoration and utilizes quantum computing to determine optimal repopulation strategies.

Classical Computer Vision Model

Overview

The Classical CV Model utilizes unsupervised learning with Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM) for real-time detection of coral reefs from satellite imagery.

Dependencies

• Python 3.8+
• OpenCV
• scikit-learn
• numpy

Installation

git clone https://github.com/your_github_username/qmarjan.git

Usage

python coral_detection.py --image_path /path/to/satellite/image

Output

The model outputs an image highlighting detected coral reefs and a CSV file with coordinates of detected areas.

Quantum Computing Model

Overview

The Quantum Model employs Quantum Annealing to solve the Set Cover Problem for determining optimal coral repopulation points.

Dependencies

• qBraid
• D-Wave Ocean SDK

Installation

Ensure you have access to a quantum computing service like D-Wave through qBraid.

git clone https://github.com/your_github_username/qmarjan.git

Usage

The model requires an input graph representation of detected coral reefs from the Classical CV Model.

python bitmap_things.ipynb.py --graph_path /path/to/coral_graph

Output

The algorithm provides a set of points representing the ideal locations for coral repopulation.

Data Visualization

All the images (results) generated are present in the repository.

Roadmap

• 6 months: Product validation with UAE MOCCAE and the "Dubai Reef" project.
• 3+ years: Scale to 15+ countries with separate data management systems and bleaching forecasting.

Contributing

We welcome contributions from the community.

License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

Acknowledgments

A special thanks to the mentors and students involved in the QMarjan project, including those from NYUAD, MIT, and other institutions.