Team Gravity
Shankaracharya Technical Campus
Team Gravity from Shankaracharya Technical Campus was building an AI-powered microscope when they came into the I-NCUBATE program. Optical microscopes, the team felt, have several limitations – from causing stress to the user’s eyes and neck to consequential errors in readings. Team Gravity spent three months working on their innovation before coming to GDC.
They deduced that the alignment of optics in a microscope is the primary cause of eye fatigue. That, coupled with internal contamination caused by a lack of regular or proper maintenance, increases the error margin. On the other hand, an AI-powered microscope can autofocus on objects, adjusting the lens to different slide specifications. The final image will be displayed on a computer screen.
The AI-powered scopes work the same way a pathologist does. They can detect microorganisms and basic substances present in blood samples, thereby saving time, energy, and resources. The team spoke to an array of stakeholders in the healthcare ecosystem as part of their Customer Discovery – pathologists, surgeons, physicians, and hospital executives. While the team managed to get many of their assumptions validated, the challenge was identifying the decision-maker in their customer segment.
Hospital executives explained that significant costs were involved in preserving test samples, storing test data, and manpower. “This was our Aha Moment,” said Aakash Dubey, while presenting his team’s learnings at the FINALE. “Going forward, we plan to undertake similar Customer Discovery exercise in other market segments, including, cytology, gemology, and in PCB manufacturing companies,” added Aakash.
