Launched in 2012, Qualcomm Tricoder XPrize tasked competing teams with a developing a portable and versatile medical diagnostics machine that would give people “unprecedented access” to information about their health. The contest has been won by an AI powered device awarded top honors and US $ 2.5 million for tis trouble.
This Xprize – a series of competitions are aimed at solving global issues. This was created to encourage the development of a device that mimicked the iconic Tricoder from Star Trek. This was meant to diagnose 13 conditions namely:
Anemia, diabetes, sleep apnea and urinary tract infections, along with the ability to detect three of five additional diseases: HIV, hypertension, melanoma, shingles and strep throat.
The Taiwan- based Dynamical Biomarkers Group took second place with its prototype for a Smartphone-based diagnostics device. The first place was bagged by Final Frontier Medical Devices from Pennsylvania.
The winning model was called DxtER and uses AI to teach and diagnose itself the medical conditions. It works by using non-invasive sensors to check vital signs, body chemistry and biological functions and draws on data from clinical emergency medicine and actual patients. All these data is then synthesized by the AI engine and the device gives out a quick and accurate assessment.
In addition to the prize money, the winning team will also benefit from ongoing support and funding from Xprize and its partners. This includes R&D partnerships with the US food and drug administration and the university of California San Diego.
XPrize, Qualcomm Foundation, and a network of strategic partners are committed and excited to now be entering a new phase which will support these teams in their attempt to scale impact and the continued evolution of the Tricorder device through a series of new post-competition initiatives.”