By Haydn Chen, 
Professor and Chief Strategy Officer

______

The MEDICA Medical Technology Exhibition in Germany, held from November 13th to 16th, 2023, marked a pivotal moment for Taiwan's biomedical and technology sectors, with over 5,300 exhibitors from 70+ countries participating. The notable presence of Taiwanese startups, smart hospital teams, ASUS, and Quanta Computer was evident.

NYCU's AI Home Sleep Monitor Takes Center Stage

National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University (NYCU) unveiled an 'Artificial Intelligence Home Sleep Monitoring Platform,' turning heads among global delegates.

Professor Albert Chih-Chieh Yang, Director of NYCU's Digital Medicine and Smart Healthcare Research Center, addressed the global prevalence of sleep issues. The AI-driven solution provides a convenient alternative to traditional sleep tests, eliminating the need for hospital visits and numerous wires, thus aiming to address real-life sleep problems.

To overcome the drawbacks of traditional overnight hospital testing, Dr. Yang's team developed a groundbreaking sleep monitoring platform. Using smart wearable devices and a proprietary smartphone app, the platform employs AI to analyze tens of thousands of sleep data entries. This aligns with the global emphasis on home care, providing stress-free at-home sleep monitoring.

iHARP Receives Praise: A Comprehensive Health Ecosystem

At the same MEDICA exhibition, Taipei City Guandu Hospital and ASUSTek Computer Inc. jointly presented the 'Healthy Aging and Rejuvenation Platform (iHARP),' an innovation with the potential for global impact. Developed by teams from NYCU and National Taiwan University (NTU), iHARP establishes a comprehensive ecosystem connecting medical institutions, lifestyles, homes, and communities, offering a range of diverse daily life services with a robust scientific foundation.

Visitors, including Niels Van Espen from Made Design & Innovation, praised iHARP's integration capabilities. The development of Zenbo Jr., a social robot utilizing ASUS Agility, and Dr. Chen Liang-Gung's presentation on 'Digital Empowerment' showcased iHARP's cross-domain technological ecosystem. The positive response resulted in invitations and recognition on the world stage, solidifying Taiwan's position as a leader in global health and longevity initiatives.