HandInCare PH
Built a mobile platform for Filipino Sign Language support in healthcare. We took it from an idea to a grant-funded pilot using offline-first AI detection with Flutter and TensorFlow.
HandInCare PH (grant-funded startup)
Chief Technical Officer
The Problem
Philippine hospitals weren't designed for patients who communicate in sign language — and the consequences are dangerous:
- Miscommunication in consultations — when a patient can't explain symptoms, doctors guess. Wrong diagnoses follow.
- Less than 1% of healthcare workers know basic Filipino Sign Language. Interpreters are scarce and expensive.
- Existing translation apps don't support sign language, and medical FSL phrase books are insufficient.
- Deaf patients avoid hospitals because they've been misunderstood before. Healthcare becomes something to fear.
What I Built
Real-time Filipino Sign Language detection
On-device camera inference using TFLite + MediaPipe, works offline for patient privacy
3D avatar playback system
Speaks FSL signs back to deaf patients so they receive information in their native language
Clinical sign dictionary
Growing library of medical FSL phrases with step-by-step guides, Filipino translations, and interactive 3D previews
Structured learning path
3-minute modules organized by clinical context: consultation phrases, vital questions, pain assessment
Gamification & progress system
Daily missions, streaks, and mastery badges to build consistent learning habits without disrupting clinical workflow
Cross-platform mobile app
Riverpod state management, Supabase auth, user progress tracking, and analytics
The Impact
Secured grant funding. Ranked Top 2 in Project RISE: Tomas B. Lopez Jr. Call for Innovation (by QBO Innovation Hub). Successfully piloted at Barangay Kasilawan with working nurses. Now deploying across healthcare training institutions in Metro Manila. Building toward 20+ clinical phrases and multi-device shared sessions.