Facial Scans Reveal Hidden Health Insights
Facial Scans Reveal Hidden Health Insights
Have you been secretly smoking while pretending to have quit? Artificial intelligence (AI) can now expose your secret, identifying you as a smoker through facial scans.
Using computer vision, AI can detect signs of smoking, such as darker lips and vertical wrinkles, which differ from the horizontal wrinkles seen in non-smokers. These signs together create what experts call a ‘smoker’s face,’ according to Prasanth Madavana, co-founder of the health-tech startup Fedo.ai.
Data-Driven Health Checks
Fedo.ai employs AI and machine learning (ML) to analyze 14 different health indicators through a quick 14-second facial scan using a mobile app. This technology can identify potential health risks and predict medical costs for the next five years.
Madavana points out that nearly 70% of health risks are related to lifestyle choices, as highlighted by a WHO study. “We are focusing on non-communicable or lifestyle diseases because early detection is key to maintaining good health,” he explains.
The app evaluates various health parameters, including body mass index (BMI), heart rate, blood sugar levels, heart rate variability (HRV), cholesterol levels, respiration rate, stress levels, electrocardiogram (ECG), blood pressure, oxygen saturation, and hemoglobin levels. It also considers factors like smoking, inhaler use, and medications to generate a health score between 0 and 1,000, with 1,000 being the best possible score.
“Generally, a healthy person would score 600 or higher,” Madavana notes.
A Path to Better Health
The app also uses algorithms to predict the risk of diseases such as type 2 diabetes, hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular disease, coronary heart disease, chronic kidney disease, and respiratory disorders. These predictions, which are about 80% accurate, aim to help users manage their health proactively rather than providing clinical diagnoses.
Fedo.ai uses a technology called contactless photoplethysmography (rPPG) along with ML to measure blood flow and heart rate from a distance. This method uses ambient light to assess blood flow beneath the skin.
Growing Market and Funding
The health-tech sector in India is rapidly expanding and is projected to reach $25 billion by 2025, according to a report by LoEstro Advisors. Fedo.ai has secured funding from Unicorn India Ventures, SEA Fund, and Ashish Mehrotra, the former managing director and CEO of Max Bupa.
The startup’s clients include major insurance companies like Aditya Birla Sun Life Insurance, Canara HSBC Life Insurance, Aviva Life Insurance, Aegon Life Insurance, Pramerica Life Insurance, and COCO by DHFL General Insurance. Fedo.ai is also collaborating with hospitals and government organizations to gather data and enhance the accuracy of its AI technology.
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