New AI tool could speed up skin cancer diagnoses in remote parts of world

A researcher at a Scottish university has developed AI tools that could give people in remote areas of the world access to fast and potentially life-saving skin cancer diagnoses.

Tess Watt , the PhD student at Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh who led the project to develop the technology, said it is intended to enable early detection of skin conditions anywhere in the world, and without the need for direct access to dermatologists.

The technology also works without internet access.

The system involves a patient taking a photograph of their skin complaint using a small camera attached to a Raspberry Pi device - a cheap, energy-efficient handheld computer that is capable of storing vast amounts of information.

The photograph is analysed in real-time using the latest state-of-the-art image classification, comparing it to an enormous dataset of thousands of images stored on the device to reach a diagnosis.

The findings are then shared with a local GP service to begin a suitable treatment plan.

The project is understood to be the first of its kind to combine AI medical diagnosis with the aim of serving remote communities.

Ms Watt explained: "Healthcare from home is a really important topic at the moment, especially as GP wait times continue to grow.

"If we can empower people to monitor skin conditions from their own homes using AI, we can dramatically reduce delays in diagnosis."

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Source: The Scotsman, 21 July 2025