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Frontend displaying ECG data for ML algorithm.
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Frontend displaying accelerometer for ML algorithm.
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About Section (PulseGuard being a placeholder name during prototyping stage)
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Emergency Alert Triggered by Grok
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CPR Guidelines for Alerted Persons and First Aid Response Persons
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Accelerometer in the ring
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Electrodes collecting real-time ECG data to stream into ML algorithm
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ESP32
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ECG Sensor
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Debugging code on day 3 of the hackathon!
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Team working on live working prototype of sensors embedded on innovative wearable 'ring' for low-access areas.
Inspiration
Every heartbeat tells a story. In too many parts of the world, no one is there to listen when something goes wrong. In remote and rural communities, medical help can be hours away, and a few lost minutes can mean the difference between life and death. Human intervention is, in some cases, impossible.
4.4 million people die yearly from injuries (WHO 2019). 1.7 billion lack consistent cellular coverage (ITU 2023). 3 billion live in areas with limited emergency response (WHO 2024). 60 % of preventable deaths occur in the first hour after injury (“golden hour,” WHO Emergency Care 2023). Economic losses totalled US$241.95 billion.
We built Rescura because no one should face such an emergency alone. Our goal is simple yet powerful: to turn every phone into a digital first responder that recognises signs of distress, guides lifesaving action, and calls for help when humans can’t.
Rescura was born from compassion and urgency, designed to make technology serve humanity where it’s needed most.
What it does
Rescura detects early warning signs of cardiac emergencies and acts autonomously to protect lives.
Real-time monitoring: Analyses ECG and motion data to identify dangerous patterns such as arrhythmia, immobility, or sudden impact.
Instant response: When risk is high, Rescura triggers SOS alerts with location data and begins calm, step-by-step CPR coaching for bystanders.
Disaster resilience: During natural disasters or network outages, Rescura enters SOS Mode, continuing to monitor offline devices and queue alerts until connectivity is restored.
Accessible safety: Designed for low-power, low-bandwidth environments, this technology brings intelligent emergency response to places where it has never been before.
Rescura doesn’t diagnose; it empowers. It bridges the gap between danger and help, giving every person a fighting chance.
How we built it
We fused biomedical insight, signal processing, and human-centered design.
Our system draws from open datasets to simulate real-world signals: ECG: link Fall detection: link
We extracted heartbeat features such as heart rate, heart rate variability, and QRS width, then combined them with accelerometer readings to compute a real-time Risk Score.
Challenges we ran into
Hardware scarcity: We had to rely on creativity and signal intelligence instead of high-end sensors. Without gyroscope or SpO₂ sensors, we pivoted to pattern-based recognition, teaching the system to interpret waveform peaks and shapes visually rather than relying on expensive hardware. Even with ±4G data, Rescura achieved reliable sensitivity by “seeing” cardiac patterns through rhythm and signal shape. Thus, our solution to the lack of hardware was strong, ingenious data-driven software.
Data authenticity: Simulating real cardiac events and fall scenarios required extensive preprocessing.
Rural reliability: We wanted it to work anywhere, even without internet or power, so we built an offline SOS mode that functions when connectivity fails.
Each challenge reminded us that innovation isn’t about perfect conditions; it’s about impact.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
-Built a real-time cardiac distress detection system that works even with minimal hardware.
-Integrated natural disaster awareness and potential offline SOS functionality for both medical and environmental emergencies.
-Proved that with creativity, software alone can save lives even in the absence of people, acting as a first responder autonomously through machine learning, AI Agents and community building through outreach to local communities in times of distress via signals.
We turned constraints into creativity and urgency into empathy.
What we learned
We learned that technology can have a heart when you build it with one.
Rescura showed us that innovation is not just about data and code, but about compassion, clarity, and timing. A calm interface and steady voice can make as much difference as an accurate algorithm.
AI does not replace human care—it extends it. It can reach those who might otherwise be forgotten, and it can make a real difference in the moments that matter most.
Presentation: Rescura Slides
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