Healthcare / Vision & Diagnostics
As part of a national healthcare initiative in India, a network of optometrists and clinics was tasked with screening large volumes of patients for diabetic retinopathy — a complication of diabetes that can lead to irreversible vision loss if not caught early.
With patient numbers rising and specialist resources stretched thin, the program needed a way to speed up early detection — especially in rural areas where access to expert review was limited.
Each patient screening involved capturing a retinal image and analyzing it for signs of diabetic retinopathy — a process that:
The program needed a reliable way to flag potentially urgent cases faster, while keeping medical staff in full control of diagnosis and follow-up care.
We developed an AI-powered image classification system designed to assist in the early detection of diabetic retinopathy.
The system analyzes retinal scans as they come in, identifying patterns commonly associated with different stages of the disease. When signs of risk are detected, the scan is flagged for priority review by a medical professional.
This helped streamline the process — enabling healthcare workers to focus their time on reviewing the most critical cases first, without slowing down patient flow.
With AI assisting the screening pipeline, clinics participating in the national program saw a significant reduction in the time it took to triage images.
Urgent cases were flagged earlier, enabling faster treatment decisions.
Staff efficiency improved, especially in high-volume or understaffed settings.
Patients benefited from quicker feedback and more proactive care.
This gave the drone operator a competitive edge, especially for clients requiring safety-sensitive or partially autonomous operations.
This project highlights the power of AI to enhance — not replace — expert care. In large-scale healthcare programs like this one in India, smart tools that support medical staff can lead to faster decisions, better patient outcomes, and more sustainable operations. It's a clear example of AI making a difference where it matters most.
