Agili8, a Western Australian company specialising in merged reality, artificial intelligence (AI), and computer vision, is changing the way that patients access care through ‘See-as-I-See’ and ‘Do-as-I-Do’ technology.
Their revolutionary platform, XRAI Vision® is delivered through AI enabled smart glasses and smart phones, where the 3D hands and tools of offsite doctors can be superimposed on a patient’s wound in real time, despite being thousands of kilometres away. This innovation empowers self-care by aging and immobile patients at home, while supporting lone frontline clinicians, especially in regional, rural, and remote areas – with the help of AI assistance, including voice commands to work hands-free, and remote supervision by metro-based specialists with 3D virtual “eyes-on, hands-on” assistance.
This groundbreaking solution reduces expertise gaps, logistics challenges, adverse events, medical and travel costs, saving lives and carbon footprint while empowering frontliners with prompt decision-making and on-the-job training.
Its applications are particularly impactful in remote and underserved areas where access to medical expertise and timely treatment is often difficult, contributing to higher mortality and morbidity rates than metropolitan areas[1].
Notably, Agili8 was one of 10 finalists out of 100 global contestants in the Challenge, a 12-month Western Australian Government initiative launched in 2023 which offered a $5 million prize for a solution that reimagined healthcare for the remote Pilbara region in Western Australia.
It was a great fit for the Agili8 team, who had already spent three years co-designing a culturally safe multi-disciplinary virtual model of care with Aboriginal communities to solve critical demand and supply issues in healthcare delivery in the remote Western Australian desert.
As part of the Challenge, the finalists were tasked with trialling their solutions in the Pilbara. During the trials, Agili8 saved a diabetic foot participant from potential hospitalisation and toe amputation with immediate intervention provided by wound care nurses at the remote Hedland Health Campus, working virtually alongside expert clinicians at Royal Perth Hospital – all done in 15 minutes of virtual care.
Agili8’s Director of Innovation & Strategic Capabilities, Anthony Lock DSM, previously Director of Patient Safety & Human Performance at Royal Perth and Bentley Hospitals and Executive Director Clinical Performance & Systems St John Ambulance WA estimated that without this intervention, it would have cost the WA health system at least $64,554, for the surgery, hospitalisation, patient transfers by aeromedical flights and rehabilitation for the remote patient[2]. It also saved at least 12 months of patient wait time, 12 clinical resources now freed up for more critical emergencies and 1.3 tonnes of carbon footprint.
A powerful aspect of this story is that the participant treated was a hospital staff member (not a patient) attending her husband’s telehealth appointment where her symptoms were spotted, diagnosed, and treated successfully. Aside from the significant time, clinical resources and financial savings for the patient and the healthcare system, the solution significantly reduces deadly infection risks and the emotional impact of losing mobility and productive work from delayed treatment and subsequent prolonged rehabilitation. Having the capability to bring a virtual senior expert clinician to a remote patient immediately, provides significant life altering care that cannot be underestimated.
Agili8’s technology has the potential to influence every part of patient care and paves the way for more meaningful, holistic, and cost-effective care in the future.
As a speaker at the WA Life Sciences Innovation Hub’s (WALSIH) October 2024 Spotlight event, Agili8’s Founder and CEO Esther Oh shared her personal story of how Agili8 started, sparked from delayed treatment due to medical expertise gaps that caused premature deaths & permanent disability in her family.
The Hub’s Director Stakeholder Engagement, Dr Tracey Wilkinson says that keeping the patient front of mind is important for a startup’s long-term success.
“Stories like Agili8’s that demonstrate quantifiable benefits to the patient, clinician, and to the health system are striking and effective ways to showcase their value proposition – and a poignant reminder about the human behind the statistic.”
Notably, Agili8’s technology has applications across many industries and has attracted the attention of not only healthcare providers but critical industries and defence forces around the world. It enables offsite commanders and doctors to have full situation awareness to support allied troops and first responders in real time, without going to the dangerous frontline. This is particularly crucial in times of emergencies, disasters, conflict and peace keeping operations where travel and logistics are challenging. Agili8 is transforming the way emergency response, healthcare and critical information is delivered while rapidly upskilling, protecting, and retaining a highly skilled and resilient workforce.
Dr Wilkinson says that the cross-sector application of medical innovations is an exciting part of the industry’s future.
“We will increasingly see medical innovations transform the way we prepare for global disasters like pandemics, decide national defence strategies, and prepare and support astronauts for space travel.”
“It is cross-sector initiatives like the Safeguarding Australia through Biotechnology Response and Engagement (SABRE) Alliance – launched by the Australian Department of Defence and delivered by MTPConnect to connect Australia’s universities, research institutes, SMEs, and manufacturers with the needs of the Defence sector– that are helping medical innovations make the biggest impact possible in our communities. Entrepreneurial companies like Agili8 are leveraging these initiatives to help break down silos and connect with partners across the world.”
Agili8 has been supported by the WALSIH team with advice, guidance and connections over several years as the company goes from strength to strength. The transformative impact of Agili8’s platform has been acknowledged in multiple state, national and global awards for artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, innovation, leadership, health and XR technology. The company won the Most Innovative Startup of the Year 2024 in the prestigious national Startup Daily Best-in-Tech Awards and featured on podcasts, Channel 9’s Innovation Nation TV and 6PR radio.
In 2025, Agili8 is one of twelve selected companies supported by the WA Government’s Global Growth Accelerator, a three-month program to pitch critical technologies to the US market that will conclude with participation at South by Southwest (SXSW) in Austin, Texas.
[1] Rural & remote Australians Overview – Australian Institute of Health and Welfare (aihw.gov.au)
[2] Estimated using Australian National Subacute and Non-Acute Patient Classification for amputation and the rehab requirements over approximately 14 days.
