Taiwan Tech’s Industry-Academia Collaboration Center recently supported the startup “Opicon Co., Ltd” in winning the top prize for “Community Care and Healthy City Solutions” at the 10th Global Conference of the Alliance for Healthy Cities held in Seoul, South Korea, in 2024.

The team developed an AI-powered health measurement system with a mobile app that allows seniors to quickly assess their health, including fall risk and frailty levels. With real-time data analysis, users can proactively manage their health and receive personalized wellness recommendations.

Winner of the Top Prize for “Community Care and Healthy City Solutions” at the 10th Global Conference of the Alliance for Healthy Cities.

According to the 2021 “National Health Interview Survey”, 7.9% of seniors aged 65 and above who were injured from “falls” required medical treatment. Additionally, the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s 2021 mortality statistics revealed that 6,775 people died from accidental injuries, ranking as the 7th leading cause of death in Taiwan. Among these, falls accounted for 21.9% of the fatalities, with 1,482 deaths. Falls have become the second-leading cause of accidental death for seniors aged 65 and above, with 24.3 per 100,000 elderly people dying from falls each year—a significant issue.

Founder and Taiwan Tech PhD student in the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering, Kai-Chi Lin, emphasized that falls among seniors are a serious health concern, and “fall prevention” must be prioritized by the government, communities, and individuals. The team has gathered dynamic skeletal health data from over 42,000 seniors, using AI models to provide accurate health assessments. They offer personalized nutrition and exercise plans for seniors and are actively collaborating with cross-disciplinary partners, including medical institutions, assistive device suppliers, nutrition supplement providers, and sports technology companies, to deliver comprehensive and customized health recommendations. This effort helps communities improve case management efficiency.

By testing three actions - balance, standing, and walking - data on horizontal and vertical mobility can be collected and analyzed in just two minutes.

The Fall Prevention Skeleton Assessment App is designed specifically for seniors. The app collects and analyzes data on horizontal and vertical mobility by performing three tests - balance, sit-to-stand, and walking - within two minutes. The data is then processed through a proprietary AI model to accurately assess the user’s core stability. Through long-term dynamic tracking, the app helps both users and caregivers precisely monitor changes in health status.

The team provided an explanation of AIoT-based health promotion and disability prevention.

The team collaborated with Dubei Village in Keelung to organize activities for seniors.

Kai-Chi Lin emphasized that although he has 15 years of experience in the AIoT (Artificial Intelligence + Internet of Things) field, he believes that a smart health city cannot solely rely on AIoT. The most important element is “human touch”. He aspires for himself and his team to be people who understand others, providing technology with warmth. He also encourages aspiring entrepreneurs to pursue lifelong learning passionately, continuously staying attuned to market needs to offer “human-centered” technological services and products.

AI Dynamic Skeleton Assessment Report.