Research & Development

Projects at Kumbh Labs

Kumbh Labs develops and studies practical open-source AI prototypes to support pilgrims, local vendors, and civic organizers. We clearly distinguish between working prototypes, active field research, and conceptual initiatives.

ProjectStageDescriptionAction
KumbhDootPrototype & Field StudiesMultilingual AI Assistance for PilgrimsDetails
KumbhBazaarResearch PrototypeAI-Assisted Marketplace for Local Vendors and Service ProvidersDetails
Future ProjectsOngoing ResearchAccessibility, Offline Coordination & Digital InfrastructureDetails

KumbhDoot

Prototype & Field Studies

Multilingual AI Assistance for Pilgrims

Read KumbhDoot Overview

A voice-first, multilingual personal assistance prototype designed to answer pilgrim queries across Indian languages. KumbhDoot investigates how decentralized agents can assist visitors with navigation, transit options, stay amenities, and ritual schedules without overwhelming central infrastructure.

Key Research Dimensions

Voice-first interaction in Indian languages (Hindi, Marathi, and regional dialects)
Local context retrieval for ghats, transport nodes, and essential facilities
Offline and intermittent connectivity resilient architecture
Field studies and user feedback collection conducted in Nashik

KumbhBazaar

Research Prototype

AI-Assisted Marketplace for Local Vendors and Service Providers

Explore KumbhBazaar Research

An exploratory research prototype connecting pilgrims with local micro-vendors, flower stalls, small eateries, and lodging providers. KumbhBazaar studies class-aware vendor indexing and voice-assisted merchant onboarding to foster fair discovery without high platform commissions.

Key Research Dimensions

Lightweight voice onboarding for informal and street vendors
Open catalog indexing without proprietary platform fees
Integration with open digital commerce protocols
Transparent vendor discovery based on proximity and stated availability

Future Projects

Ongoing Research

Accessibility, Offline Coordination & Digital Infrastructure

View Research Papers

Ongoing exploratory research initiatives investigating challenges unique to population-scale gatherings, including crowd density communication, localized mesh networks, and assistive technologies for rural visitors.

Key Research Dimensions

Device-to-device localized coordination during cellular congestion
Audio and pictorial accessibility tools for elderly and first-time smartphone users
Open benchmarking datasets for crowd logistics and multilingual queries
Academic publications and open-source protocol specifications

Contribute to open research

Our projects are open and collaborative. We welcome researchers, student engineers, translators, and field volunteers to contribute to testing and development.