UTICA — A new Utica-based mobile application called Nyano is offering a low-cost way for families to keep track of their elderly parents’ wellness, using only a smartphone camera and artificial intelligence. Founded by Ujjwal Rai, who is also one of the founders of Muju International Groceries in Utica, the app is designed to provide remote health insights such as heart rate, breathing rate, stress levels, and signs of fatigue, without requiring any physical contact or wearable devices.
Nyano uses a technology known as remote photoplethysmography, or rPPG, to detect small color changes in the skin that are invisible to the human eye. By analyzing these changes through the phone’s front-facing camera, the app estimates key wellness indicators. Each scan takes just 30 to 60 seconds and does not involve any physical sensors or attachments.
The technology used for heart rate and breathing measurements has received clearance from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, lending credibility to the app’s health data capabilities. While Nyano is not a medical device and does not offer diagnosis or treatment, it is intended as a wellness monitoring tool that helps families stay informed and connected.
For many users, the motivation behind using Nyano is deeply personal. Millions of people around the world live far from their aging parents, often separated by countries or even continents. The app offers a way for them to receive regular wellness updates through email, giving them peace of mind without relying on expensive health trackers or in-person visits.
When Rai left his home country, like millions of others pursuing work and education abroad, he carried with him the same question that keeps many children awake at night: “Are my parents okay?”
The idea for Nyano grew from a belief that health monitoring should be a basic right, not a luxury reserved for those who can afford high-end smartwatches or fitness trackers. Rai saw a gap in the market for affordable, accessible wellness tools and decided to address it through technology.
“No one should need a $400 smartwatch to know their heart is okay,” Rai said. “If billions of people already have a phone in their hand, that’s enough.”
Unlike traditional wellness devices that require hardware purchases, Nyano runs entirely through a smartphone. Scans are processed locally on the device, and the results are shared only with the user’s approved family members. The app does not store or sell personal health data.
The app’s name, “Nyano,” means “warmth” in Nepali, a reference to the comfort and care it aims to provide. Rai said the choice reflects the emotional connection the app seeks to support.
“Billions of people send money home each year,” he said. “But what they really want is peace of mind, that their parents are healthy, that their loved ones are okay. Nyano is built to give them that.”
The standard plan for Nyano is priced at $4.99 per month and includes unlimited scans and wellness updates via email. In Nepal, the cost is even lower. The app is currently available in both Nepal and the United States, with plans to expand to additional countries in the future.
Rai described Nyano as a mission-driven project, focused on delivering value to families regardless of geography or income level.
“Nyano is designed to be the best in the world at what it does, and at a price no one can match,” he said. “Because for us, this isn’t optional. It’s mission.”
Looking ahead, Rai said there may be obstacles, including regulatory challenges and the complexities of scaling globally. Still, he remains committed to the core idea that wellness should be accessible to everyone.
Rather than chasing the next flashy gadget or luxury app, Rai said he committed himself to the harder path: building a solution for those who already have the least, and that his loyalty is not to trends or market hype, but to the billions of families he says deserve the same dignity of care as anyone else.
Nyano is available on the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store.