FootForward

Inspiration Behind the Project

The inspiration behind our project stems from the silent suffering of millions living with diabetes in India, especially in underserved communities. During clinical visits and community health camps, we witnessed countless patients unaware of the looming threat of diabetic foot complications—many only seeking help once ulcers had already progressed. The lack of affordable, accessible tools for early screening deeply concerned us. We realized that with the right innovation, we could intervene earlier, prevent amputations, and dramatically reduce the physical, emotional, and financial toll on patients and their families. This project was born from a desire to bridge that gap and offer hope, mobility, and dignity to those most at risk.

To enhance our solution’s accessibility and usability, we are integrating a Large Language Model (LLM) to act as a virtual diabetic foot health assistant. The LLM will guide frontline health workers through the screening process, interpret sensor data, provide personalized risk assessments, and generate actionable recommendations in local languages. This not only reduces the dependence on specialists but also ensures consistent, evidence-based care across low-resource settings. The LLM serves as the bridge between advanced diagnostics and grassroots healthcare delivery.

Anticipated Difficulties

We anticipate several challenges in deploying our solution at scale. First, ensuring the accuracy and robustness of sensor data interpretation in diverse real-world conditions remains a key technical hurdle. Second, integrating LLMs into rural and resource-constrained healthcare workflows requires thoughtful design to address connectivity issues, language localization, and user training. Additionally, building trust among patients and healthcare workers for an AI-assisted screening tool will take time and targeted community engagement. Lastly, navigating regulatory approvals and achieving cost-effectiveness without compromising diagnostic quality are critical for sustainable impact.