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The gamechanger for diabetics
"Tell me what you eat, and ..." ... SNAQ tells you whether it is good for your health. Using computer vision and artificial intelligence, the app informs you how your blood sugar is doing after eating a certain meal – allowing diabetics to find more pleasure in eating again.
by Tobias Imbach
If you are sitting in a restaurant and take a photo of your meal, you will probably want to share it with the world – but if you use the app "SNAQ" instead of posting the picture on Instagram, you can learn about the glucose level in your blood after eating the meal. This is interesting for people who want to eat healthily, but it is immensely more useful for diabetics.
In the podcast, Aurelian Briner, CEO of Swiss start up SNAQ, tells us what motivates him and his team, how computer vision and machine learning are important in the analysis process and what the technology could achieve in the future.
SAID & NOTED
SNAQ automates as much as possible, but also only as much as is reasonable.
I see positive aspects in the fact that users still have to actively engage – not only because of risk considerations, but also because they think about it and are involved in decisions.
We are on the edge of what is technically possible, but the expectations regarding automation often go beyond that. The technology is simply not there yet.
Our Deep Learning model can potentially recognise an item on the second image – that is rather unusual.
We want to work with hardware that is available on the market – meaning what current smartphones are equipped with.
Non-diabetics are amazed at the results of a glucose sensor – how significantly dietary choices affect them!
If we create more personalisation and earlier awareness with our app, hopefully it will have a positive impact on our health system and the associated costs.
Aurelian Briner
SNAQ AG, Zürich
When Aurelian Briner orders his food in a restaurant, he usually does so rather impulsively – regardless of his blood sugar levels. With his partner it's a bit different: she was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes seven years ago, which motivated Aurelian Briner to look deeper into the composition and nutritional values of what ends up on the plates – and to develop SNAQ, an award-winning app that makes life easier for diabetics, but also serves lifestyle and general health purposes. As founder and CEO, he strategically drives his company forward.
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