Maker Bio
Arijit Das is an inspiring 18-year-old innovator from India who has been passionate about IoT and AI since 2017. Currently working at Edge Impulse, he supports developer communities. With accolades such as the highest honor from the Vice President of the Government of India as a Young Innovator and being the youngest speaker at GitHub Universe, Arijit is making waves in the tech community. He co-organizes tinyML India, which boasts over 1,600 members, and leads the TinyML Aspirants Community, one of Asia’s largest Machine Learning communities.
Project Background
Oral cancer remains a critical global health issue, with the Oral Cancer Foundation reporting that nearly one person dies every hour due to this disease. The high mortality rate is primarily attributed to late-stage diagnoses, often caused by a lack of accessible diagnostic centers.
To combat this, Arijit has developed OraCAN, an innovative AI-powered system designed for early detection of oral cancer. Utilizing an NVIDIA Jetson Nano and a standard endoscope/intraoral camera, OraCAN offers a rapid and efficient solution for diagnosing the three most common types of oral cancer: Lichen Planus, Oral Malignant Melanoma, and Squamous Cell Carcinoma.
How it works
The process of how OraCAN works is straightforward. After entering essential patient information—such as name, age, gender, contact number, and location—the user connects a USB camera to the Jetson Nano. The Python GUI prompts the user to select a pre-downloaded ML model. With a simple click on the “Take Picture” option, OraCAN captures an image of the patient’s mouth and feeds it into the ML model for classification. Within seconds, users receive a comprehensive report detailing the image classification analysis, achieving an impressive accuracy of 82.6%, significantly higher than traditional diagnostic methods.
One of OraCAN’s standout features is its ability to function without internet connectivity, making it ideal for use in remote areas. The entire system can run on a simple battery supply, allowing healthcare providers in underserved regions to access critical diagnostic capabilities.
Click here to access OraCAN Demo
Future Innovations
Looking ahead, Arijit plans to enhance OraCAN by developing a more portable device that integrates the display, Jetson Nano, and USB camera into a single 3D-printed enclosure. This innovation will further facilitate its use in rural areas, making early cancer detection even more accessible.
Arijit Das is not just transforming how people detect oral cancer; he is paving the way for a future where diagnostic tools are available to everyone, regardless of their location. With projects like OraCAN, people move closer to ensuring that no one has to face the late-stage diagnosis of oral cancer.
Click here to explore the details of OraCan development process
