SmartVibe - Accessible Diabetic Neuropathy Screening

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  SmartVibe Concept Map

Inspiration

Our inspiration for SmartVibe came from a deep recognition of the preventable suffering caused by diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). During our research, we were shocked to learn that up to 50% of people with diabetes develop DPN, often without symptoms, and that late detection is a leading cause of foot ulcers and amputations. What stood out to us was that despite DPN being a well-known risk, affordable and accessible screening remains elusive, especially in low-resource or rural areas. We wanted to change that.

What is our product

Our goal was to create a low-cost, scalable, and user-friendly tool that empowers both patients and clinicians to detect early neuropathy—before complications arise. That’s how SmartVibe was born: a dual-mode, smartphone-based vibration perception screening tool that leverages hardware people already own and integrates seamlessly into real-world clinical workflows.

Challenges we ran into

We faced challenges in narrowing down the scope—we wanted to tackle everything from diagnostics to full care management. But we learned to focus our solution on the most solvable, high-impact pain point: early detection. Another challenge was ensuring clinical relevance while keeping the system lightweight and low-cost—but through research and pre-existing literature, we landed on a model that balances technical feasibility with clinical utility.

What we learned

Most importantly, this project taught us that innovation doesn't have to be complex—sometimes, the most powerful solutions are the ones that are simple, scalable, and grounded in empathy.

Built With

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