Gerontechnology Research in
Yuan Ze University
Yeh-Liang Hsu, Ph.D
Dean of Academic Affairs
Professor, Dept. Mechanical Engineering
Director, Gerontechnology Research Center
Yuan Ze University
2012/04/25
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
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About Yuan Ze University
 Yuan Ze University was established by the founder
of the Far Eastern Group, Mr. Y. Z. Hsu, in 1989
 Yuan Ze has grown into an elite comprehensive
university with 5 colleges, 9,000 students and
700 faculty and staff.
Yuan Ze is ranked in the top 400 in Times Higher
Education 2011-2012 World University Rankings
Copyright 2008. All rights reserved.
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Gerontechnology: Origin, definition, and scope
 Geron: from Greek, γέρων, “old man”
 Gerontechnology: 老人「福祉」科技
 August 1991, First International Congress on Gerontechnology in Eindhoven
Netherlands, established the research structure of Gerontechnology.
 International Society of Gerontechnology (ISG):
“Designing technology and environment for independent living and social
participation of older persons in good health, comfort and safety.”
 Scope of gerontechnology (by ISG): health, housing, mobility,
communication, leisure, and work.
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Gerontechnology Research Center (GRC)
 Organized from 2001, GRC was officially established in January 2003, the first
research institute focus in the field of gerontechnology in Taiwan.
GRC designs technologies and products to provide practical solutions to
the various problems of the aging society.
 The Chinese value of gerontechnology
曾子曰：孝子之養老也，
【禮記，內則】
“To take care of the elderly parents, you should make them happy, let them do
what they want, help them see well, hear well, and provide them a safe and
comfortable living environment.”
(Zeng, a disciple of Confucius, about 2,500 years ago)
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Major research projects supported by GRC
 國科會跨領域研究專案
 Connecting homes─次世代高齡者互動式溝通平台之發展與應用
 以智慧型機器人輪椅作為高齡者行動、生活與健康照護中樞
 跨國頂尖研究中心－動態生醫指標暨轉譯醫學研究中心
 國科會整合型計畫
 長期照護機構環境下高齡者預防跌倒機制之研究
 應用於遠距協同作業之多模態人機智慧型互動關鍵技術研究
 建立居家環境下高齡者跌倒監測與風險評估之遠距監測系統
 建立居家環境下高齡者心臟病復發預警評估系統
 建立高齡者生活品質之智慧型維護系統
 經濟部科技專案
 出院病患之智能化創新照護服務建置計劃（敏盛）
 銀髮族U-Care旗艦計畫－去機構化之高齡者照護服務平台（敏盛）
 遠距健康照護示範服務先期規劃（遠傳、亞東醫院）
 十餘項產學合作計畫
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Gerontechnology Trans-dicilinary Program in YZU
 本學程的目的在培育老人福祉科技產業亟需之跨域人才，課程實施對象
也設定在來自不同專業系所的學生，各課程規劃產業深入體驗活動，同
時建立「產業導師」制度，輔導學生為進入產業作準備。
課號
ME491
課名
學分
開課單位
備註
老人福祉科技產業學堂專題講座
老人學導論
1
2
機械系
通識教學部
必修
必修
ME567A
老人福祉科技概論
老人福祉科技
2
3
通識教學部
機械所
二科必修一科
IE220
人因工程（一）
3
工管系
SC234
老人福利
3
社政系
MK308
服務行銷與管理
3
管理學院學士班
GS431
GN418
選修（三選一）
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Industry collaboration
 Major industrial partners:
 GRC collaborated with MinSheng Healthcare on the
“UCare Project”, which led
to a joint start-up company
Smart Care Inc. for home
telehealth services.
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Leading research institute in the field of gerontechnology
 遠距居家照護技術台灣專利件數前五名競爭公司/研究機構
公司名稱
專利件數 活動年期 發明人數 平均專利年齡
元智大學
13
5
20
3
泰博科技
6
2
6
5
工研院
5
3
15
4
國立陽明大學
4
3
11
1
普格科技
4
2
3
5
 整合國內學術界
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International collaboration
 International partners:
 International Society of Gerontechnology, Sinophone Chapter
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Hosting the 9th World Congress of International Society of
Gerontechnology (ISG 2014) in Taiwan
Conference theme: “Cultural and social diversity in Gerontechnology”
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
JUNE
JUNE
JUNE
3
4
5
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GRC Development Roadmap
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Connect older adults with children, family members, care givers…
Household
Application server
Report IP
External
sensor 1
External
sensor 2
External
sensor 3
.
.
.
Wireless
receiver
Internet
connection
Processor
Built-in
sensors
Personal Health
Cloud
Event alerts &
regular reports
Applications
Social Network
Service (SNS)
Storage
Distributed Data Server (DDS)
• Embedded system based
thin server
• PC-based software
• Tablet app.
Client
app.
Request data
SNS
app.
Web
browser
Care givers
Centralized
Database / Server
(Private Cloud)
Devices
• SmartPhone
• Tablet
• PC / NB
Patent No. US8,111,817 B2; Date of Patent: Feb, 7, 2012
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Activity of daily living (ADL) monitoring
 Unify sensor approach: Temperature + Humidity + PIR, CT
40
35
PIR
30
25
20
No.1 kitchen
15
No.2 bedroom
10
No.3 door
5
No.4 bathroom
0
TV USE
TV USE
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Fall detection?
 Movement classification
ZigBee RF
module
 Fall detection
PIC
microcontroller
Voltage
regulator
 Estimation of energy expenditure
 Postural stability measurement
 Gait evaluation
D2
D1
Blue: VT
Accelerometer
module
Red: AP
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Sleep quality monitoring -- bed actigraphy
 SmartPad: Use conductive fiber
to design a pressure sensor to
detect movements in bed.
 Applications in nursing homes etc.
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Telepresence Robot for Interpersonal Communication (TRIC)
Our very preliminary
version of “Avatar”…
Height: 39.5cm
Diameter: 26cm
Weight: 3.5kg
Moving speed: 12cm/s
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Connecting Homes – Interactive communication platform for the elderly
 Technical level: higher level, multi modal, interactive communication
 Socio-cultural level: creating the internal motivation of communication
To let the elderly people feel like their children
and caregivers are living together with them.
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intelligent Robotic Wheelchair (iRW)
Reinvent the wheelchair as the center of mobility, everyday
living and healthcare of the elderly.
Healthcare
Mobility
Nimble maneuver
Telehealth
Pressure ulcer prevention
Autonomous behavior
Collaborative control
Multiple DOF seat adjustment mechanism
iRW
Ergonomic seat design
Everyday living
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GRC: The momentum is there… On the verge of a breakthrough…
ENLARGE PARTICIPATION
of YZU professors thru
academic activities.
REACH THE SINOPHONE
WORLD
MAKE IT HAPPEN thru
industrial collaboration
THE
GRAND
PLAN
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Yuan Ze University
Thank you
Yeh-Liang Hsu
mehsu@saturn.yzu.edu.tw
http://grc.yzu.edu.tw/
http://designer.mech.yzu.edu.tw/
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