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A start-up is using AI and blockchain to help people receive expert advice on skincare, and find products tailored to their conditions.
A new project aims to rejuvenate the skincare industry by launching a blockchain platform designed to solve problems “experienced by millions of people globally.”
Opu Labs says the vast majority of consumers get advice from social media, friends and product marketers – information which is often biased or too general to take their unique skin type into account. According to its white paper, just 12 percent of people get recommendations from professional dermatologists, but more than 80 percent would like to do so.
The project wants to provide individuals with “personalized, intelligent treatment options” and recommendations they can trust. It believes its technology could enhance the quality of skincare services while making them available to a broader cross-section of consumers.
Eventually, Opu Labs plans for its technology to be split into five core services.
One of them is Opu AI, a skincare analysis platform which will be free and available as an app for smartphones and web browsers. The company says this software is driven by artificial intelligence and can detect redness, acne, wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and skin tone when provided with a facial image. From here, four regions of the face are scored based on their skin condition. This information can then be used to discover treatments and predict the improvements they would bring.
Other tools are in development
Opu Labs is currently developing an array of other tools – including a real-time search platform which would recommend products to users based on their skin condition and search history. A survey cited by the company suggests over 30 percent of users will spend 10 or more days researching products online before making a purchase decision, but currently face information overload and struggle to verify expertise when using mainstream search engines.
The company is also working on Opu Connect, an engine which would pool the data of users that they opt in. Consumers would be awarded with OPU coins, the ecosystem’s token, if they do so – skincare companies would get the chance to use this information for the research and development of new products.
Opu CRM would be geared towards skincare professionals – enabling them to hold consultations with patients and create treatment plans. This would be coupled with a blockchain-enabled medical records system that would allow patient data to be exchanged securely.
“From a dermatologist’s perspective there’s a genuine need to offer their professional expertise to a mass audience. Over 500 mln Facebook users are interested in skincare, yet there’s no quick trusted solution that allows dermatology professionals to meet the individual needs of these global customers,” the company’s white paper adds.
Tapping into its primary market
Opu Labs believes that 80 percent of the consumers using its platform will be female. The company says its target market is aged between 18 and 35, have internet access, are highly educated and generally spend about $75 a month on skincare products.
In the third quarter of 2018, the company hopes to launch in Asia and release a native version of its app for Android. This would be followed by iOS software and expansion to the US in the following quarter. It hopes the functionality to make treatment recommendations – and a presence in further countries across EU – will be achieved by the end of the year.
A 100 percent bonus on tokens purchased during its presale is being offered until June 26. Its initial coin offering will follow in July.
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