Do you have skin cancer? More New Zealanders die from melanoma than on our roads, and many people live with skin cancer, completely unaware. If melanoma occurs, an early diagnosis is essential to survival. Current methods of early detection are simple self-checking processes, requiring users to physically monitor changes to their own skin. SPOT CHECK is a personal skin cancer detection system, using sophisticated, digital products to easily identify and track suspicious spots and catch melanoma before it's too late.

SPOT CHECK is a personal skin cancer detection system. At the start of this project, I read the 'Future Innovations 2023' report from the WGSN Forecast Team. They forecasted, "We will be entering a health-age". What I took from this statement was: we've gone through the age of the internet, then the age of the smartphone, and are increasingly heading towards the age of health– in which there is greater focus on personal healthcare products.

To meet this future of health, I believe we need to develop more personal detection tools. During the early phase of my project, my search for where a personal detection tool could play a role, lead me to a problem closer to home– New Zealand. Here in New Zealand, more people die from melanoma than on our roads (NZ Ministry of Health & NZ Transport Agency, 2010 to 2016).

Realising the significance of the problem here in New Zealand, my research also opened me to the risk of melanoma across the globe. Following this, I decided to pursue the design of a skin cancer detection system. During the projects research and develop phase, I identified a key problem– if melanoma occurs, early diagnosis is essential to survival. Furthermore, what makes early detection difficult is the identification and tracking of suspicious spots; knowing what to look for and where to look for it.

The R&D phase resulted in a report that identified there was no personal detection tool that both identifies and provides early detection of melanoma. SPOT CHECK was proposed to utilise three key existing technologies: cameras, 3D scanning & artificial intelligence– in a single tool. This would provide the ability to surveil the body, identify & track suspicious spots, and most importantly provide early detection.

The subsequent design and develop phase resulted in an elegant, compact and accessible solution. SPOT CHECK is comprised of a charging case and three cameras. The benefits of SPOT CHECK begin with its unique approach to scanning.

The first function is full-body scanning, designed to surveil the entire body, identify, and track suspicious spots over time. This is enabled by the unique camera design, moving to you– the 3-axis ball camera can identify users in space, intelligently locating and orienting the camera. This benefits the user by requiring them to simply place the cameras towards them rather than expertly aligning them. When the camera is performing full-body scanning it utilises the zoom lens and LiDAR to build a 3D body map in real-time. LiDAR, used in new smartphones and self-driving vehicles, provides the camera with depth-perception. SPOT CHECK then utilises the three cameras data and simultaneously streams scanning from each to form a complete body map.

Once you've completed the full-body scan, you'll be notified via the companion app if any further scanning is required. The SPOT CHECK app is where you setup your profile and control the cameras. Past scans and the progress of analysis can be viewed here. Analysis is powered by the AI, designed to detect changes in spots that the human eye could miss. If an area is deemed suspicious, you'll be asked to perform micro-imaging.

The benefit of a full-body scan is highlighted in the micro-imaging stage. In this stage of micro imaging, there is a competing product from MetaOptima called MoleScope II. This is an accessory for smartphones, utilising the existing camera with a magnifying lens and LED to photograph suspicious spots. However, the assumption is that the user of MoleScope II knows what to look for. Unique to SPOT CHECK, the suspicious spots have already been identified using the full-body scanning. The companion app notifies the user when and where to image, rather than guessing with MoleScope II.

An important distinction to make is the SPOT CHECK system is designed to detect, not diagnose. Once the scanning process of full-body & micro imaging has been completed, the system may identify an area that requires professional diagnosis. In this instance, the app will provide the ability for users to make an appointment with a medical professional for diagnosis.