We're aware our core change-detection engine has many uses, particularly in the medical space. We're focussed on making a home-tracking service for moles to start out with that works with smartphone to begin with, although we plan to branch out into other areas as the company grows. We're not like the many apps out there that will tell you whether or not you have cancer for $2.99, we're working with dermatologists, GPs and image processing experts to make a service that is robust and safe.
We have a grant from the UK's Technology Strategy Board - a Government initiative - to research video-based capture instead of our current photo-based approach. This would alleviate many of the problems you've highlighted with regards to the convenience of capturing the data. Video capture would be the main focus of the person we hire.
We're also keen to point out we're not a diagnosis service, nobody but a trained medical professional can tell you whether or not you have a melanoma. All we're doing is helping you spot change as soon as possible.
And yeah not even the dermatologist can yet tell you whether you have a melanoma or not, for that an actual sample is required.
Perfect solution for early detection in my mind would be some sort of drug or cream that would highlight which moles are melanomas and then somehow allow of a system to see that highligh (ex. change for color)
But just wanted to say I am glad there are someone out there working on it.
Having had a melanoma myself, this area obviously interest me.
Have you thought about a grander vision i.e. using a high def camera taking picture of he entire body in one snap and then analyzing that data?
I have more than a thousand moles, many of them abnormal, so using a camera on a per spot basis is simply not safe enough with the current technology.