An international team of researchers presented an advanced diagnosis system based on artificial intelligence to the CNR in Pisa. It is not made up of complicated machinery that can be used by an operator, but is in the form of an object of daily use. Probably the first thing we observe as soon as we wake up: a mirror.
SEMEOTICONS (acronym which stands for SEEDiotic Oreentred Ttechnology for Individual's CburnedOmetabolic risk self-assessmentNt and Self-monitoring) is a project that has been around for quite some time. It aims to use the human face as an important predictor of well-being. The goal is to improve the prevention of cardiovascular diseases by mapping the characteristics of a person's physical and emotional state.
In the medical field, the semeiotics (from the Greek σημεῖον, semeion, which means “sign”, and from the suffix -iké, “relating to”) is the discipline that studies clinical symptoms and signs.
The arrival point of the Semeoticons project? The creation of an “intelligent mirror”. A large reflective touch screen to install in your home or other places. A device capable of 'looking at us' and telling us if we risk stroke, heart attack, diabetes and other clinical conditions.
Italian soul
Prevention and innovation are the cornerstones of this project which includes 10 European partners. And not only that: in addition to Italy, France, Sweden, Spain, Greece, Norway, England and other nations, 4 industries and 6 research institutes. Semeoticons is coordinated by an Italian group from the Institute of Information Science and Technology – ISTI and the Institute of Clinical Physiology – IFC of the CNR.
I reached out to the project coordinator, the researcher Sara Colantonio, Ph.D. to understand where Semeoticons is.
Doctor, what is the progress of Semeoticons?
The project ended in 2017 and the research group made up of researchers from two different CNR institutes (the Institute of Information Science and Technologies and the Institute of Clinical Physiology) launched an entrepreneurial initiative which was classified as second place in the Tuscany StartCup at the end of 2018. The research activities continued with the analysis of the data acquired during the project validation campaign to verify the validity of the parameters calculated by the Wize Mirror and the usefulness of the well-being index in the prediction of cardio-metabolic risk. The findings were reported in an article currently under review for the International Journal of Medical Informatics. The accuracy, specificity and sensitivity values exceed 80%, demonstrating the ability of the device to identify subjects with one or more risk factors even in a small sample of the population such as the one considered up to now (70 subjects).
The project has its core in the creation of a "parametric model" based on patient data. An initial scan allows the system to have reference values for your body composition, stress levels and other measurements.
With Semeoticons, a very profound convergence of very different technologies must be achieved: contactless 3D scanning, breath analysis, analysis of facial gestures and emotions, AI to relate data and develop a diagnostic "strategy". A thousand things that make your wrists tremble to think about, but which trace an itinerary already seen (to a lesser extent) for other technologies.
At present, there are already 3 fully functional prototypes of intelligent mirrors. What is missing from its marketing?
The commercialization of the Wize Mirror requires a more extensive validation of the methods integrated into the device, aimed at obtaining approval as a device for self-monitoring of the state of well-being. In addition, chassis engineering is required to adapt it for use in everyday environments, such as pharmacies, spas, gyms, or homes.
Semeoticons (and INTESA), technologies for life
The Wize Mirror which will collect data on our daily state of health fits perfectly into the new diagnostics of the future. A discipline that will be increasingly concentrated in a mediator, technology, exactly halfway between the doctor and the patient. A proximity "sentinel" that we will have at home, on our skin, in some cases even in our body. And he will be able to "read" us by providing advice and data which in the hands of an expert professional will result in the best and most timely treatments.
Is it plausible that one day the miniaturization of hardware and the advancement of AI systems will make it possible to find a portable "mirror" with which to evaluate one's state of health?
This is an undoubtedly plausible scenario. Consider that the Wize Mirror processes data acquired mainly through cameras; this means that even a mobile phone or tablet can lend itself to such data collection, perhaps using filters suitable for focusing the cameras on specific wavelengths. The results obtained with the SEMEOTICONS experimentation demonstrate that a cardio-metabolic risk assessment based on non-invasive sensors is absolutely feasible and lends itself effectively to implementing primary prevention programs. This is a further demonstration of how innovative technologies can support increasingly personalized, precise and sustainable approaches to the health and well-being of citizens.
In this regard, in the research laboratory (the Signals and Images laboratory) Dr. Sara Colantonio and her colleagues carry out various activities. All combine the use of artificial intelligence, augmented reality and computer vision at the service of precision medicine and assistive technologies. One among all? It is called INTESA.
Understanding
Another paradigmatic example is that of the INTESA project which had the objective of creating a set of personalized services based on the use of innovative and non-invasive ICT technologies aimed at improving the quality of life in fragile subjects, integrating the results in order to determine and prevent the worsening of health conditions of subjects at risk.
