CS Majors Harness AI to Transform Alzheimer’s Care with MemoLens

Tuesday, October 29, 2024
In a remarkable display of innovation and empathy, two second-year computer science students from Georgia Tech, Syed Husain and Vihaan Nagarkar, have unveiled MemoLens, an AI-powered application designed to significantly improve the lives of individuals battling Alzheimer’s disease. Their inspiring journey began during the annual DubHacks ‘24 hackathon held at the University of Washington on October 12-13, where they secured first place in the AWS Gen-AI and Cloud Computing track.

The motivation behind MemoLens is deeply personal for both students; each lost a grandfather to Alzheimer’s. Nagarkar revealed the emotional impact of witnessing his grandfather struggle to remember faces and names. “It was heartbreaking to see the confusion and anxiety on his face when he couldn’t recognize his own family,” he recounted, a sentiment echoed in Husain’s commitment to making a difference.

The Innovative Design of MemoLens

MemoLens integrates cutting-edge technology with compassion to offer Alzheimer’s patients a lifeline to their memories and loved ones. The platform combines smart glasses with advanced facial recognition algorithms and a customizable AI assistant, enabling users to:

• Recognize loved ones more easily
• Manage daily medication schedules
• Enjoy a greater sense of independence

The smart glasses, developed in partnership with Vuzix M400, serve as a powerful tool. The embedded AI assistant is trained using a personalized database of friends and family photographs, enhancing its utility with features that include medication reminders and answers to commonly asked questions about Alzheimer’s disease.

Above: MemoLens combines smart glasses with facial recognition algorithms and a customizable AI assistant to help people with Alzheimer’s disease stay connected with their families and friends.

As the duo moved from concept to prototype, they rigorously tested MemoLens through feedback from healthcare providers and patients alike, ensuring that the platform genuinely meets the needs of its users. This iterative process was crucial, as noted by Nagarkar: “Through DubHacks, we learned the importance of empathy in technology design and how critical end-users are in the design process to create solutions that genuinely meet their needs.”

Future Development and Long-Term Vision

While MemoLens’s initial launch was born out of a hackathon environment, Husain and Nagarkar are determined to bring their innovative solution to market. They have ambitious plans for future development, including the implementation of a multi-LLM architecture designed to optimize performance. “We aim to enhance the system by developing a multi-LLM architecture, where a central LLM acts as an agent that seamlessly delegates tasks to specialized models,” shared Husain, hinting at the complexity and responsiveness these enhancements will bring.

The expected outcome of these upgrades is a more personalized experience. The system’s integrated multi-model structure would enable real-time health monitoring and daily reminder support. “By leveraging specialized models, we can provide deeper contextual understanding and a more tailored experience for each user, elevating our support,” Husain elaborated.

Looking Ahead: MemoLens 2.0

With the growing success of MemoLens, the development team is exploring new advancements in wearable technology ahead of MemoLens 2.0. The vision? To enhance speed, responsiveness, and the overall impact of the existing application. “We want to make solutions an integral part of the tech landscape, using human-centered design to solve complex problems,” Nagarkar stated, emphasizing their commitment to innovative technology that serves humanity.

As the world increasingly turns to technology for solutions in healthcare, projects like MemoLens highlight the potential of AI to not only assist but also transform lives significantly. The synergy of compassion, technology, and user-centric design has never felt more relevant, especially in the realm of chronic illnesses such as Alzheimer’s.

Conclusion

The journey of Syed Husain and Vihaan Nagarkar serves as a compelling case study in how technology can bridge the gaps created by debilitating diseases. With tools like MemoLens, the future looks hopeful for Alzheimer’s patients and their families, offering them not just support, but a chance for meaningful connections amidst the challenges of the disease.

Stay tuned for more developments from the inspiring duo, as they continue to push the boundaries of what technology can achieve in the medical field.