NCU and Industry Establish R&D Center to Develop Smart Companion Products with AI

(Central News Agency, Taipei, June 29) The Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Central University and Nova Materials Technology announced today the establishment of a joint research and development center. They will jointly develop smart companion products integrating technologies such as generative AI and intelligent robots, aiming to create elderly care solutions that combine technological innovation with social value.

The joint R&D center will introduce image-based neurophysiological sensing technology, combined with emotion recognition and behavior analysis mechanisms, to understand users' emotional changes and physical/mental states, thereby enhancing the interaction quality and care effectiveness of smart companion systems. Through the integration of generative AI, emotion perception, and life memory modeling technologies, virtual humans or robots will not only respond to questions but also become familiar and trusted intelligent partners for the elderly.

In the future, both parties will use large language models as the core for virtual humans and robots. Through data such as text, photos, and videos, they will create digital companions with personalized memory and long-term interaction capabilities. These companions can gradually understand the elderly's life experiences, interpersonal relationships, values, and daily habits, providing more natural and contextually relevant companion dialogues, thereby enhancing the psychological support and quality of life for the elderly.

Professor Yeh Shih-ching of the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Central University stated that in the face of challenges brought by an aging society, such as living alone, loneliness, and insufficient caregiving manpower, AI development should not only focus on efficiency improvement but also on the emotional connection between people. The establishment of this joint R&D center with Nova Technology aims to create smart companion solutions that combine technological warmth with practical application value through cross-disciplinary collaboration.

Yang Lien-chih, Chairman of Nova Materials Technology, mentioned that in the future, they will deepen industry-academia cooperation and technology transfer with the Department of Computer Science and Information Engineering at National Central University, and continue to invest resources to jointly apply for research projects related to health and medical technology. They will allocate manpower and funds to promote product development, market validation, and application promotion. Through industry-academia collaboration, they hope to accelerate the implementation and commercialization of innovative technologies, creating internationally competitive smart companion products for the elderly. (Editor: Kuan Chung-wei) 1150629

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