Two Star Trek related stories in the same day? Be still, my heart. Last week the X PRIZE Foundation announced a new cash prize available for innovators. They’ll pay $10 million to the first person or team to develop a “mobile solution that can diagnose patients better than or equal to a panel of board certified physicians”. Yes, they’re looking for the Tricorder from Star Trek made reality. They’re working with Qualcomm to fund the aptly-titled “Tricorder X PRIZE” which aims to bring more health information and action plans to consumers.
The collaboration between the X PRIZE Foundation and Qualcomm will bring together experts in technology usability, wireless sensors, cloud computing and mobile health to accelerate the convergence of these fields. The winning tool will enable consumers in any location to quickly and effectively assess health conditions, determine if they need professional help and answer the question, “What do I do next?” [MarketWire via NextBigFuture]
What we suggest they do next is never, ever search the internet about their symptoms. The internet always says it’s cancer. The internet is like all our grandmothers’ paranoia combined with billions of cat pictures and all the porn our grandpas still have stashed somewhere. It’s a magical, terrible place.
Banner picture: cosplay by Scottsdalien, photographed by Phoenix Comicon.