Digitalizing the detection of the first signs of frailty in the elderly is one of the main lines of work of the Chair Cuatroochenta of Artificial Intelligence, Health and Welfare of the Universitat Jaume I, which has presented the activity report of its first seven months of activity in the Joint Monitoring Committee, which met on Friday, March 4. In recent months, the Chair has initiated collaborations with social and health services companies such as Eulen and Kineactiv.
To achieve this digitization, it has applied 3D technology cameras that make it possible to evaluate the walking speed at which a person walks, which is one of the indicators of physical frailty. This technological development could improve health care for people at risk of dependency. After validation of the tool, a pilot test is planned for 2022 in a centre for the elderly in the city of Castellón to learn about their experience.
Another of the projects on which the Chair has begun to work is the European network ARGENTUM, which aims to promote the economy for people over 50 years of age. This is a Silver Economy cluster to improve the healthy ageing of the population through the promotion of autonomy, social participation, skills and employment of the elderly.
The meeting of the Joint Commission, held online, was attended by the Vice-Chancellor of Planning, Coordination and Communication of the UJI, Modesto Fabra, the directors of the Chair, Oscar Belmonte and Antonio Caballer, and Cuatroochenta's Chief Corporate Sales Officer, Santiago Gimeno. During the meeting, the report of activities carried out in 2021 was presented and the program planned for the next year 2022 was approved.
Meeting of the Joint Monitoring Committee of the Cuatroochenta Chair in Artificial Intelligence, Health and Welfare.
Boost to artificial intelligence training
In the field of training, the Chair has promoted the first edition of the Saturdays AI course in Castellón. This initiative has allowed 30 people to train in artificial intelligence and machine learning through the development of projects with social impact. During the program, people from different professional profiles, not necessarily technical, have collaborated in prototypes where artificial intelligence provides solutions to social challenges, such as unwanted loneliness, breastfeeding support, detection of diseases in oranges, online scams or anticipation of volcanic eruptions.
Work is currently underway to hold a second edition of Saturdays AI Castellón in 2022, focusing on deep learning techniques. For this next edition, the Cátedra Cuatroochenta will announce two scholarships aimed at UJI students interested in taking part in the Saturdays AI training cycle. The scholarships will cover tuition fees and will be aimed at the degrees of the School of Technology and Experimental Sciences and those of the Faculty of Health Sciences, to promote multidisciplinarity among students of the course.
Scientific Dissemination
In the field of dissemination, the Chair participated in September 2021 in the Mednight night of European researchers to publicize the Serena research project, a conversational robot that applies artificial intelligence techniques to detect unwanted loneliness. In addition, with the intention of presenting an example of how technology can improve the quality of life of the population, the Chair organized a talk to learn about the case of the Teruel-based company Kineactiv, which has developed software with 3D technology to monitor the physical and cognitive exercise of the elderly.
The 2022 activity plan includes a workshop on the applications of technologies to improve people's quality of life. This workshop will take place at the Congress "Humanizing from Person-Centered Care", to be held at the San Jerónimo de Estella Nursing Home in Navarra.