The Samsung Digital Health Initiative is based on open hardware and software platforms that will accelerate the development of advanced sensors, algorithms, and data collection and analysis. (image credit: Samsung Electronics)
SAN FRANCISCO, May 28 (Korea Bizwire) — Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. today launched a bold initiative aimed at directing the resources and innovation of the global technology industry toward empowering individuals to better manage their own health and wellness. The Samsung Digital Health Initiative is based on open hardware and software platforms that will accelerate the development of advanced sensors, algorithms, and data collection and analysis.
At an event at San Francisco’s SFJAZZ Center today, Samsung’s Strategy and Innovation Center ( SSIC ) team demonstrated its open platform in a wearable wristband form factor, showing how devices based on this reference-design “blueprint” could be used to track measurements such as heart rate, respiratory rate and blood pressure. The company also demonstrated its open software architecture and how it could be used to collect data from a variety of sources, aggregate it and display it in a format allowing consumers to better understand what is taking place within their bodies.
The open platforms, combined with agreements like the one recently announced by Samsung and the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) to validate new technologies for personal health and wellness, are designed to help entrepreneurs bring innovative products to market more quickly.
“Samsung’s Digital Health Initiative provides an exciting opportunity for the brightest minds in the technology world to come together to develop the products that will, for the first time, put individuals in the driver’s seat in understanding their own health and wellness,” said Young Sohn, president and chief strategy officer, Device Solutions, Samsung Electronics. “At a time when healthcare spending is at record levels and when the number of people over the age of 60 worldwide is expected to exceed more than 1.2 billion by 2025, digital health is an incredibly important area for innovation. We believe this initiative is an essential first step and we invite developers and partners across the globe to join us in creating the technologies of the future that will help make people’s lives healthier.”
Technology Highlights
The combination of Simband-designed sensor technologies and algorithms and SAMI-based software will take individual understanding of the body to a new level – for the first time giving voice to a deeper understanding of personal health and wellness. In addition, through the development of new sensing technologies and software, it’s possible that entirely new and previously unimagined insights into health and wellness could be generated.
“Our bodies have always had something to say but now, with advanced sensors, algorithms and software, we will finally be able to tune into what the body is telling us,” said Dr. Michael Blum, associate vice chancellor for informatics at UCSF. “Validation of these technologies will improve the quality of data collected and help advance the ability to bring new products to market quickly. UCSF is pleased to play an important role in this effort to focus increased technology resources on digital health.”
To support its Digital Health Initiative, Samsung today also announced the Samsung Digital Health Challenge, a $50 million investment fund dedicated to innovative start-ups and technologies in the digital health area. The goal of the fund is to stimulate creative new approaches to digital health and Samsung’s open platforms. Additional information about the Samsung Digital Health Challenge may be found at www.samsung.com/ssic .
About Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. is a global leader in technology, opening new possibilities for people everywhere. Through relentless innovation and discovery, we are transforming the worlds of TVs, smartphones, tablets, PCs, cameras, home appliances, printers, LTE systems, medical devices, semiconductors and LED solutions. We employ 286,000 people across 80 countries with annual sales of US$216.7 billion. To discover more, please visit www.samsung.com .
About the Samsung Strategy and Innovation Center
SSIC is a global organization within Samsung’s Device Solutions division focused on identifying and nurturing new technologies in health and wellness, cloud infrastructure, Internet of Things, human-computer interface, and other related areas. Headquartered in Silicon Valley, with offices in Korea, Israel and the U.K., SSIC’s mission is to develop and accelerate groundbreaking technologies through open innovation working in collaboration with entrepreneurs and strategic partners to enhance people’s lives and help make the world a better place.
Source: Samsung Electronics (via Business Wire)
