HKUST Annual Report 2021-2022

Connecting People and Communities 30 From healthier lives and eco-improvements to the nurturing of tomorrow’s technology stars, HKUST faculty, students, and staff have used innovation to positively impact the wider community ENHANCING HEALTH AND WELL-BEING With growing demand for novel health tech tools during the pandemic, Prof. Richard SO (Chemical and Biological Engineering/Industrial Engineering and Decision Analytics) and his students formed start-up company PanopticAI to develop camera-based technologies for an innovative health and wellness monitoring app. Using the camera on a smartphone, tablet, or computer, the AI software can check users’ vital signs, including heart rate and variability, respiration rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation through capturing subtle changes of coloration in their skin due to changes in blood flow. Mental wellness indicators such as stress and energy level readings can also be obtained. A pilot scheme deploying the technology was carried out in elderly homes, pharmacies, and healthcare institutions across Hong Kong over Spring 2022. Seniors, pregnant women, and people with chronic illnesses are some of the groups expected to benefit.