Tech Talks Central

Dr. Georgia Chalvatzaki tells us about MOBOT; an ambitious European FP7 project still in evaluation stage, that uses an intelligent robotic walker to assist elderly or reduced mobility people get up from a chair and walk around, during their daily life. It is an easy to use, yet highly sophisticated and self-learning system that gradually recognizes the habits of its user and helps him (or her) overcome most difficulties. Interviewed by Yannis Rizopoulos for Tech Talks Central.

There are many consumer- and healthcare- grade solutions aiming to improve the quality of life for the elderly, however ease-of-use and intrusiveness are two of the most common factors hindering effectiveness and wide adoption. Dr. Panagiotis Bamidis, Assistant Professor at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki talks about the current research in Affective and Physiological computing aiming to improve the cognitive and physical condition of elderly people using gamified experiences through a number of consumer devices such as mobile phones, smart TVs etc. Dr. Bamidis then talks about current work in another research area which aims to help young kids with Hyperactivity or Attention Deficit Disorders by providing a far more effective mobile-based activity monitoring framework than existing practices. Finally we talk about some early stage research in Body Machine Interfaces. Interviewed by George Voulgaris for Tech Talks central.

Mrs. Salehi gives a thorough description of the smart training pants that DFKI (German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence) has designed and already produced as a working prototype. A most characteristic example of real “wearables”, these pants contain an array of sensors that send continuously via Bluetooth information to a designated mobile device about the vital statistics of the user ie. that could be an athlete, soldier or patient. Interviewed by Yannis Rizopoulos for Tech Talks Central.

The field of non-invasive Brain Computer Interfaces (BCI) is gaining massive momentum as startups, companies and researchers are pushing hard. The race on BCI research is on improvement of the efficiency and the accuracy of the systems, while some of the first commercial efforts are testing the waters with several affordable devices already available to consumers. Professor Bin He, a pioneer in the field of Biomedical Engineering, talks about the ground-breaking research currently being done at the University of Minnesota in decoding brainwaves more accurately and reliably using non-invasive interfaces. We discuss the already impressive results of a brain-controlled helicopter experiment, some of the present challenges and the upcoming breakthroughs in the field of Brain Computer Interfaces. Interviewed by George Voulgaris for Tech Talks central.

Prof. Guang-Zhong Yang talks about The Hamlyn Centre and their research focus on sensing, imaging and robotics and how they’re interested in developing technology that is safe and effective for all medical devices, whilst having a strong kinetical value, making technology accessible. He talks about the body sensor network and their pervasive use; starting from wearables up to implanted sensors; how they catch signs that help distinguish possible health issues or how they can implant sensors after surgeries in order to monitor the status of the area ie. inflammation, infections etc. and prevent further deterioration. He goes on to explain how their research in imaging, sensing and robotics is creating smart medical tools with sensors and how they’re all linked with the ultimate goal of minimal invasive surgery, intervening early and preventing problems before they become irreversible. Dr. Yang adds his prediction for the future of predictive, personalised and participative health. Interviewed by Vicki Kolovou for Tech Talks Central.

Prof. Athanasios Kakarountas combines his deep knowledge of informatics & computing with marketing techniques in order to design and produce marketable products, useful for everyday assisted living. Starting from his commercialised projects, including a pillow with sensors and an insulin injecting automated system, he talks about his new project which aims to assist elderly by making slight design changes to known household devices that can bring technology to their life in a non-invasive way. Interviewed by Vicki Kolovou for Tech Talks Central.

Prof. Karakitsos explains how HPV Guard, a smart and innovative system to define individual risk for cervical cancer development, works. This brand new platform, supported by an EU Grant, Greek State money and private investments, compiles -using established know-how of Big Data mining- laboratory and clinical data that feed a dedicated scoring system, with specialist doctors analyzing the results. Interviewed by Yannis Rizopoulos for Tech Talks Central.

Dr. George Kordas, Research Director at NCSR Demokritos, describes the very important project his research team is working on, during the last six years: delivering drugs for personalized chemotherapy to cancer patients. He talks about what inspired him to make this project the scope of his life, as well as the prospects of his life-saving method for the future. Interviewed by Yannis Rizopoulos for Tech Talks Central.

In this interview, Maria Sachpazi, Research Director & Acting Director of the Institute of Geodynamics of the National Observatory of Athens, chats with Tina about the European Researcher's Night, what inspired her to pursue science and research, and whether seismologists today have the ability to predict the next "big" earthquake. Interviewed by Tina Miteko for Tech Talks Central.

Dr. Garyfallia Drossopoulou explains in simple terms what neural stem cell development from the human olfactory mucosa(in the nose) means for patients with spine injuries and other related health problems. She dwells into the purpose of cultivating such cells in order to get concentrated populations but also capable of multiplying & self-renewing. She explains the ‘olfactory’ term and the solution it entails to finding the right tissue without ethical boundaries. Ending, she gives us her own insights on whether young students should follow her footsteps in medical research and what they should expect from the science. Interviewed by Vicki Kolovou for Tech Talks Central.