We often see news and headlines about the dark side of AI, its weaponization, and “algorithmic warfare”. A plethora of AI-driven, dystopian paradigms await us in the future, but there is also a bright side!
Some companies are using AI to improve healthcare and renewable energy. Startup company Thingnario (pictured above) is using AI to crunch data at solar farms, and SYSCOM (pictured below) is building robots to assist hospital patients.
These AI companies and many more like them are coming together in the AI NEXT program, led by Taiwan’s Industrial Development Bureau.
The AI NEXT program is designed to help all kinds of businesses, people in tech, and investors enter the global AI ecosystem.
An important part of the program is the AI Tech Business Matchmaking Platform, which launched in September with a growing directory of AI companies. Like a speed-dating platform for the AI ecosystem, it makes matching with AI companies as easy as swiping right.
To demonstrate what it has to offer businesses, people in tech, and investors — here are 8 of the most innovative AI companies that have joined the platform so far:
Beseye Cloud Security
Skeleton-print is Beseye’s patented AI computer vision technology, which analyzes human posture and behavior to improve image recognition. According to Beseye, it’s 30 percent more accurate than other AI facial recognition technologies on the market, and it isn’t limited by camera angles. Its various applications include security and protection, alerting emergency services about accidents, in smart retail where it can enhance consumer experience, and for smart management of factory production lines.
Coretronic Robotics
Coretronic offers an AGV solution for automated warehouses, featuring robotic forklifts and cleaning robots, all of which are equipped with the latest 3D SLAM technology, 2D and 3D LiDAR, 3D cameras, and IMU. Fleet management is controlled from a simple user interface, which can either be operated remotely from a central command station or by on-site personnel. Coretronic’s research and development in AGV has been ongoing since 2015, beginning with the objective of integrating robotics, AI, and IoT technologies.
Heroic-Faith Medical Science
A profound name for a company with a bold mission, Heroic-Faith is “Saving Lives Through Innovation”. Heroic-Faith developed its own algorithm for monitoring lung activity, which works by calculating respiratory rate during inhalation and exhalation, and analyzing the sound for airway obstructions or apnea. Their product, AirMod is an AI-powered device that monitors respiration during anesthesia, and assists the anesthesiologist in diagnosing problems, reducing the risks associated with anesthetics.
Huijia Health Life Technology
Huijia is pioneering the use of non-invasive fiber optic physiological monitoring technology (nFOPT) to diagnose early symptoms of COVID-19. Their smart care system has already been in-use for over 10 years, serving more than 300 baby and elderly care centers with upwards of 100 thousand individual users. The nFOPT technology is built into a mat that’s just 2mm thick and fits under a patient’s pillow, harnessing AI to simultaneously monitor respiration, heart rate, coughs, sleep quality, and other vital signs.
SYSCOM Computer Engineering
Established in 1975, SYSCOM has been around for over 45 years, and the Ayuda smart robot is the company’s latest innovation for assisting hospital patients. Ayuda was recently upgraded for epidemic prevention, and equipped to measure body temperature and verify face mask compliance of everyone who enters the hospitals where it is stationed. Aside from hospitals, SYSCOM says that Ayuda can be customized for numerous applications for use at police stations, banks, hospitals, schools, retail spaces, and more.
Thingnario Solar Farming
Photon is a renewable energy monitoring solution that works behind the scenes at solar farms: crunching data, calibrating sensors, diagnosing problems, and boosting efficiency. Researched and developed by startup company Thingnario, this enterprise solution is compatible with photovoltaic hardware produced by Siemens and other major suppliers. It combines deep learning based computer vision algorithms with an intelligent IoT platform, and transforms solar farms into valuable insights and alerts for technicians.
Viscovery Smart Retail
In the retail space, Viscovery is making leaps and bounds with its AI deep learning and computer vision technology, which has been specially tailored to help cashiers in brick-and-mortar stores. They boast over 99 percent accuracy in recognizing baked goods and other food items, while providing simple integration with retailers’ existing POS systems. Viscovery received recognition from Google in 2013 and has since gone on to partner with retailers worldwide, including 7-Eleven and Walmart China.
Wellgen Medical
In medical lab testing, a number of clinical problems can result from inter-personal and inter-institutional inconsistencies. That’s where Wellgen comes in with its new microscopy scanner, which is designed to solve such discrepancies through a unified digital image process. The scanner is compatible with multiple AI diagnosis software types, and it is capable of scanning bone marrow as well as other smear types.