FoodPAL 1.1: Novel Methods to Ensure Allergens Free Diet in Smart Healthcare Framework

Abstract

The immune system plays a vital role in defending the body against pathogens and foreign substances. However, food allergies disrupt its normal functioning, leading to immune system related disorders. During early childhood (ages one to three), children begin exploring their environment by placing various objects, including food, into their mouths. While this exploratory behavior is essential for development, it also poses significant risks, especially for children with food allergies. Therefore, increased supervision is crucial during this stage of growth. In response to this challenge, FoodPAL, a smart surveillance device, is introduced to monitor toddlers' food consumption. A hybrid object detection approach is implemented to enhance performance efficiency and optimize resource utilization. A premium dataset was evaluated across four different object detection models, and the most accurate model was selected. The overarching goal of this research is to protect children's immune systems by preventing exposure to allergenic substances.