Star Trek Inspiration for Latest X Prize Contest

January 13, 2012 By IdeaConnection

The X Prize Foundation is at it again, firing up imaginations to inspire someone to create a world-beating technological advance.

This time round the call has gone out for the creation of a Star Trek-like medical “tricorder”. Whoever succeeds will be able to swell their bank account by $10 million.

As anyone who’s ever watched the TV show or the films will recall, the tricorder was a handheld device able to instantly diagnose diseases quickly and simply by scanning a person’s body.

The latest prize was officially launched at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and it will be awarded to the best system capable of “key health metrics and diagnosing a set of 15 diseases”. It must also weigh no more than 5lb (2.2kg).

It is hoped that the fact the competition now exists will transform healthcare. The ultimate aim is to bring accessible and understandable health information to consumers on their mobile devices, pointing them to seek care sooner if needs be.

“We believe this is a fundamental step in helping people become true ‘Health Consumers’ who can have as much say in assessing and accessing healthcare as they would any other service or product,” said Don Jones, Vice President of Wireless Health Strategy and Market Development at Qualcomm Labs.

A selection of teams will be chosen in two years’ time from the submissions and the final winner announced in a little over three years.

To find out more about the competition including its guidelines and schedule visit the Qualcomm Tricorder X prize website.


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Posted by Iden on January 30, 2013

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