A groundbreaking ceremony rival to develop aStar Trek - style tricorder machine to name aesculapian ailments is approach its end . There are now just two teams remain , and the victor will be announced in April 2017 .
The two finalists announced today , whittled down from 10 team , are Dynamical Biomarkers Group , from Taiwan , and Final Frontier Medical Devices , from Pennsylvania . Both are attempting to scoop a $ 10 million prize by using their gimmick to successfully name patient role on a range of issues .
The end of the Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE is to create a modest twist , weighing no more than 2.3 kilogram ( 5 pound ) , that can diagnose13 health conditions(12 diseases and one absence of disease ) in 90 minutes to 24 hours , depend on the precondition .
As its name suggests , the booty was inspired by the aesculapian devices used inStar Trekand , although they do n’t perhaps partake in the same expression , the twist are hoping to mimic some of the function . In special , they are designed to be non - invasive , just like inStar Trek , so a patient can diagnose themselves without throw to prick their skin , for example .
“ Imagine a portable , wireless gadget in the palm of your hand that monitors and diagnoses your wellness conditions , ” the competition enounce on itswebsite . “ That ’s the technology envisioned by this contention , and it will allow unprecedented access to personal wellness metrics . ”
The machine from Dynamical Biomarkers Group . XPRIZE
The twist from Final Frontier Medical Devices . XPRIZE
The Tricorder XPRIZE was start in 2012 , with hundreds of teams ab initio registering interest . The XPRIZE foundation , which include name like film director James Cameron and Google ’s Larry Page on its instrument panel , runs competitor like this to boost technological breakthrough in sure field .
Perhaps the most famous of the contests is the Ansari XPRIZE , which tasked teams with sending a ballistic capsule into space and back to Earth . It was won by SpaceShipOne in 2004 , which was later corrupt by Richard Branson ’s Virgin Galactic . More recently , 16 teams are competing in theLunar XPRIZEto farming a rover on the Moon from next year .
Now , though , there are just months to go in the Tricorder competition . The two team have handed over their nail twist to XPRIZE , and can only await to see how they do in clinical trials .
“ What we ’re last through right now is a final form of consumer testing at University of California , San Diego , ” Grant Campany , Qualcomm Tricorder XPRIZE wind , told IFLScience . “ Each team will undergo 39 disjoined consumer examination school term , doing three disjoined sessions per disease condition . ”
The team with the best execution across these 13 conditions will deliver the goods the competition and scoop the loot .
“ Our gruelling work is done , now it ’s all Grant ’s hard work that has to take over for the eternal rest of the competition , ” Basil Harris , team lead for the Final Frontier team , told IFLScience .
His team ’s gimmick is called DxtER , and uses an unnaturally intelligent ( AI ) algorithm to diagnose a patient . The gadget comes in separate component , with a patient using different bits to control their wellness shape . An app on a phone or tablet then gives them their result .
“ We trust heavily on non - invasive methods , ” he read . “ The design believe by the competition is that it can be used in someone ’s home . ”
Final Frontier Medical Devices / XPRIZE
The other finalist , Dynamical Biomarkers Group , work in a not too unlike style . It also use an AI algorithm to name patient , with its various ingredient being stored in a single box with wrench - out boxers . It also includes a parentage and urine test kit ( as does their rival finalist ) and uses an app to expose result .
“ The potential for this technology is limitless , ” Chung - Kang Peng , team lead for the Dynamical Biomarkers Group , order IFLScience . “ For a family to own such a kit , it will be very helpful because you’re able to gather a portion more information even before seeing a doctor .
“ For our group , we ’re thinking about region that do n’t have any health care infrastructure , like settlement in China or India or Africa . So in those lieu , you could have a tricorder expert trained like a school teacher , and they can use this as medical fear for the entire small town . ”
Dynamical Biomarkers Group / XPRIZE
The damage point of the two machine reverberate this idea , with Dynamical Biomarkers aiming for under $ 1,000 , and Final Frontier direct for around the $ 200 range . Once the competition is over , the next step will be to try and bring these products to market , which look some regulatory hurdles from place like the Food and Drug Administration ( FDA ) .
“ It ’s a new realm for the FDA and federal way around the universe , to have a machine use as a medico , ” said Harris . “ It ’s live to be a multi - class challenge to get through the regulative process . ”
Considering the possible benefits , though , this is a singular contest that could inspire aesculapian care in parting of the world . Now we ’ll have to look to see just how beneficial the devices are , and whether we ’re one step nigher to aStar Trek - inspired future tense .
