ITRI Elite Awards honor world-first eye drop treatment for wet macular degeneration

2023-06-22

The Industrial Technology Research Institute, or ITRI, has announced five gold medalists of its annual Elite Awards. They include an AI-assisted retinal diagnostic tool and a new treatment for wet age-related macular degeneration. The awards ceremony coincides with ITRI’s 50th anniversary. ITRI President Edwin Liu expressed hope that the institute will further integrate corporate management, digitization, and international collaboration, to pursue innovative solutions and value creation.

Looking through the lens, this device seems like an ordinary camera. But it contains an AI model trained on over 100,000 images of the fundus of the eye. It’s capable of detecting diabetic retinopathy.

Lee Ya-wen
Industrial Technology Research Institute
This product uses object detection to inform non-ophthalmologists about the severity of the disease, classifying it as mild, moderate, or moderately severe. Once the fundus is mapped, it can immediately detect the location of the symptoms within three seconds or even as fast as one second.

This valuable innovation won a gold medal from ITRI for outstanding research. Another winner is this world-first eye drop treatment for treating wet macular degeneration. It breaks with the traditional treatment of eye injections, saving patients the discomfort of looking at a needle.

Cheng Shu-chen
Industrial Technology Research Institute
Having needles inserted directly into your eyes is actually a very scary means of treatment. We thought about whether the method of using eye drops could replace this technology. This product can achieve safe and effective transmission, and it can provide a very high dosage.

Five gold medalists were unveiled at ITRI’s Elite Awards press conference, a showcase of value-oriented innovation. ITRI celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, and its president, Edwin Liu, spoke about his hopes for its future.

Edwin Liu
Industrial Technology Research Institute president
We hope that this organization can enhance its efficiency through corporate management and agile management. That’s as far as organizational operation goes. As for research, we hope that our colleagues can continue to strive for value innovation, not just technological innovation.

ITRI has been a significant contributor to Taiwan’s economic growth. As it heads into its next 50 years, it will continue to play an important role in nurturing Taiwan’s industries.

工研菁英獎得獎出爐端出5項年度金獎技術

2023-06-22

有工研院奧斯卡獎之稱的"工研菁英獎"，週三端出5項年度金牌創新技術，包括眼底影像人工智慧判讀技術、治療濕式黃斑部病變眼藥水等，而適逢50週年，工研院長劉文雄表示，期盼未來組織能以企業化、數位化，與國際連結，並在藍海政策下，找出解決方案，尋找價值創新。

眼睛看向鏡頭，以為這是普通照相機，但其實裡頭標記超過10萬張眼底影像，訓練出AI輔助診斷系統，可用來偵測糖尿病眼底病變。

[[工研院資訊與通訊研究所經理李雅文]]
“我們的產品透過物件偵測的方式，能夠告訴非眼科醫生，為什麼疾病的嚴重程度判斷是輕級、中級或中重度，只要你眼底圖一放進去，它在3秒內甚至更快1秒鐘，馬上就會把病徵的位置，直接偵測出來”

充滿價值創新的技術，榮獲工研院傑出研究獎金獎，同樣獲獎的還有這瓶濕式黃斑部病變眼藥水，為全球首創滴劑式治療，突破傳統眼內注射，讓病患不用再一面看著針頭，一面進行療程。

[[工研院生醫與醫材研究所副組長鄭淑珍]]
“針直接往你的眼睛去邁進，其實是非常令人害怕的治療方式，就想到說用眼藥水的方式，是不是可以來取代這樣子的技術，它可以達到有效的傳輸又是安全，劑量又是很高的眼藥水產品”

總計5項年度金牌創新技術，端上工研院工研菁英獎記者會，展現價值創新思維，而今年適逢工研院50週年，院長劉文雄也喊出未來期許。

[[工研院長劉文雄]]
“我們希望組織能夠以企業化經營提高更多的效率，與敏捷式的管理，這個是組織上的運作，至於研究方面的話，希望同仁還是繼續努力尋找價值的創新，不要只是做技術的創新”

在過往台灣經濟成長貢獻良多的工研院，邁入下一個50年，要持續扮演重要的產業推手。

KMT lawmakers say presidential candidate should be switched if Hou’s ratings don’t pick up

On the first day of the Dragon Boat Festival long weekend, KMT presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih didn’t struggle to get his egg to stand upright as part of a game on a live Instagram video. However, Hou is struggling with something much more important: his low ratings in opinion polls. Some KMT lawmakers are urging the party to find a new presidential candidate if his poll numbers don’t start picking up soon.

After just two tries, KMT presidential candidate Hou Yu-ih was able to get his egg to stand upright. The fun game was part of Hou’s live Instagram broadcast, which also featured a rapid-fire Q&A session.

The live video was part of an effort to attract young voters, but it seemed to not be an effective stunt, as only about 100 people tuned in to the program. Hou led a cheer, urging for the public to elect him, but the New Taipei mayor might be counting his chickens before they hatch, as he’s been in last place in six successive opinion polls. Some KMT lawmakers have had enough. They’re firing the first shots of calls to switch the party’s presidential candidate. They’re also encouraging party leaders to install a requirement for candidates to receive at least 15% of support from the public in opinion polls.

Chen Yu-chen
KMT lawmaker
We’ve had enough, as anybody would be anxious with the numbers. Before July 23, when we’ll hold our party plenary, we need to have an idea about what decision we’ll probably have to make based on the circumstances.

Voice of Lin Szu-ming
KMT lawmaker
I support this idea. If poll numbers aren’t going up, then our party needs to make a decision. It’s hard to watch because it’s going to be difficult to win like this. They just don’t know what’s going on.

Grassroots politicians start to get anxious when the party’s top brass are struggling in the polls, yet Hou has chosen to remain calm, as he’s calling for his party to be united in order to win.

Hou Yu-ih
KMT presidential candidate
Don’t worry; we’re going to be united, and together we’ll jump higher and cover greater distances. In the end we’ll win and we’ll reach our goals, so let’s go forward together.

In the latest BCC-Gallup poll Hou only received 17%, which isn’t far from the suggested 15% minimum. To make matters worse, Hou has insisted on building from his base in New Taipei City and having a platform with more moderate views. China-friendly lawmakers are worried that if Hou doesn’t adjust his campaign strategy, he won’t be able to turn things around in the opinion polls.

2023-06-22

National Tsing Hua University unveils Taiwan’s first driverless electric racing car

2023-06-22

Memory and a sharp eye: how police officers and detectives solve tough cases

A Hsinchu police officer recently made headlines when he recognized a suspect at large on the street through a car window. His sharp observational skills led to the suspect’s arrest. Today we take a look at some of the skills police officers and detectives need to solve tough cases. According to Hsinchu police, a good memory is vital. Many cases are solved with CCTV footage, but that still requires police to know the face when they see it. They also shared how doing research on the suspect’s background can be useful. When the suspect knows the police are clued up, they’re less likely to try to hide what they’ve done.

A flat nose, large ears, a square face. This drawing clearly captured the defining features of the suspect’s face. Even the slight wrinkles are included. This is the drawing that helped the Hsinchu officer identify the suspect.

Liu Hsing-wei
Police officer, Hsinchu County Hsinhu Precinct
In cases where there have been serious crimes, theft, repeated drug offences, or repeated offences in general, we prioritize memorizing the distinctive features of their faces.

To spot a suspect, officers also need to understand suspects’ backgrounds, their tactics and frequently visited locations, as well as the clothes they tend to wear. Using all those bits of information, they’re more likely to spot a fugitive.

Many criminal investigations now rely on CCTV footage, which means a strong memory is even more useful than ever.

Yeh Jih-jen
Detective, Hsinchu County Hsinhu Precinct
You can work out who the person is just from looking at CCTV footage. You can spot them at a glance and that cuts down the length of the investigation a huge amount. Especially now, many cases are solved by accessing CCTV cameras.

Officers can also pick up clues about potential suspects while walking down the street.

Hsu Jui-fu
Taoyuan Patrol Police Corps
It’s the body language. Sometimes you can tell someone’s a drug user from behind.

Taoyuan Patrol Police Corps scan the streets like radar, searching for trouble. As one officer explained, only experience can earn that kind of eagle eye.

Hsu Jui-fu
Taoyuan Patrol Police Corps
Sometimes we can use a rule of thumb with some observations. For example, why would somebody lower their head or turn around and try to leave as soon as they see a police officer? That’s obviously suspicious.

And when the police catch a suspect, if they’re inclined to deny everything, police have psychological tactics.

Yeh Jih-jen
Detective, Hsinchu County Hsinhu Precinct
The suspect doesn’t know you. But you, the police officer, know their name perfectly well. You can talk in detail about their background, and who they’re dating. That breaks down their psychological defenses. They get scared, intimidated. They think, “Wow, the police are amazing, they know everything about me.” That’s really helpful for future interrogations. They are less confident telling a pack of lies.

A good memory and observational skills are the basic tools of the trade for police officers and detectives. These skills mean more cases are solved and society has a little more protection.

2023-06-22

Tai Tzu-ying advances to Taipei Open quarterfinals after defeating rival in 28 minutes

2023-06-22

Dragon Boat Festival sees customary games of standing eggs upright at Taipei Zoo, ice skating rink

On the first day of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday, it is a traditional custom to stand eggs upright at noon to pray for good luck. On Thursday, the Taipei Zoo held two egg standing events involving more than 200 people. There was more egg-themed fun to be had in Taipei, as a department store put its own twist on this tradition, inviting kids and their parents to come to a skating rink and balance ice eggs. Let’s take you to this festive revelry.

At 12 p.m., children release their hands and look to see if their eggs are standing upright.
Some were successful on the first try, while others refused to give up, and kept trying until they made it stand up. The Taipei Zoo held two egg standing events at two different locations in the zoo, involving more than 200 people in a colorful scene.

In addition to the egg standing games, there was also a market. The zoo took advantage of the Dragon Boat Festival holiday spirit to combine it with biological education. There were activities involving bird egg identification, DIY hanging ornaments in the shape of zongzis, and at one stall, kids foreheads were marked with the character for “king” in realgar wine, to symbolically ward against evil.

Chen Yi-tsung
Taipei Zoo director
Our goal is to have more than 25,000 people come every day during the four-day holiday. So, we hope we can bring 100,000 visitors to the zoo.

Also taking advantage of the Dragon Boat Festival spirit were executives at a department store, who held a special “ice egg” activity at a skating rink.

Member of the public
It’s fun. It’s just that it’s a little difficult to make the egg stand upright. Sometimes it’s hard to stand up and sticks to my glove and falls down again.

Member of the public
This is very suited to the occasion. It’s been so long since I balanced an egg upright during Dragon Boat Festival. I originally thought it would be a real egg. I never thought that it would be egg-shaped frozen ice. This is quite difficult but it’s very exciting.

Traditional customs and innovative games were not the only item on people’s holiday agendas.

Some people wore skis and tried to grab red flags from their coaches. During the time for the dragon boat races at Dragon Boat Festival, they were doing this activity in the nearby indoor ski runs.

Member of the public
The coach will deliberately make things difficult for us, which is quite interesting, because I never thought that we could play a game like this. It’s so much fun.

Coming to the rink during Dragon Boat Festival marks a break with Taiwanese tradition. But people certainly enjoyed the fun and cool change away from the hot humid weather.

2023-06-22

Hua-Lien Hospital to set up emergency first aid stations along Xiuguluan River for tourists

2023-06-22

Theater show highlights Taiwan and Hungary’s shared democratic values

Taiwan’s representative to Hungary has appeared on Hungarian TV to promote links between the two countries. Diplomat Liu Shih-chung got the call after the acclaimed children’s performance group Paper Windmill Theatre made its debut in Hungary. Paper Windmill’s show about the legendary deity Nezha made quite a splash in Hungary. Sponsored by the General Association of Chinese Culture, the show was performed for Ukrainian refugees in neighboring Hungary. Liu used the occasion to highlight Taiwan and Hungary’s shared values of democracy and human rights.

Taiwan’s envoy to Hungary Liu Shih-chung shows off a budaixi puppet of Nezha and introduces it in Hungarian.

He was invited onto this Hungarian network TV show after a media frenzy was ignited by the local debut of Paper Windmill Theatre in collaboration with the GACC.

Liu Shih-chung
Taiwan Representative to Hungary
Taiwan and Hungary may seem very far apart, but we both have a lot of rich culture. So what’s most important now is that we close the gap between Taiwanese and Hungarian culture, and get to know each other better with events like this.

Paper Windmill Theatre recently performed in Hungary, and even gave out traditional Taiwanese delicacies for the audience: festive zongzi and Taiwanese spring rolls. The main purpose of their trip was to showcase Taiwanese culture, and in particular share the inspiring myth of Nezha with Ukrainian refugees in Hungary. The head of the General Association of Chinese Culture, Formosa Lee, was then asked to appear on TV and share Taiwan’s democratic spirit.

Formosa Lee
General Association of Chinese Culture
Taiwan and Hungary have some shared values, such as freedom, democracy, and human rights. On the basis of these values, I believe that we can create a closer relationship between our two countries.

This is Paper Windmill’s first billing in Europe for 30 years. The shadow of the Ukraine War and Taiwan’s urgent desire to build ties with Europe has brought the power of art to the fore.

2023-06-22

How to wash a reusable cup: a peek inside a cleaning facility

More and more companies are adopting reusable cups, in the aim of becoming more environmentally friendly. They’re “rented” instore, and brought back to any other branch of the store to be washed and reused. You can use one hundreds of times. But have you ever considered how these cups get washed and maintained? Today we take a visit to the cleaning facility where these super-cups are brushed up for their next performance.

If you forget to take your own thermos or cup to the coffee shop, it’s easy to get a reusable cup from the store. But do you know how the company cleans and sterilizes these cups? Let’s take a look at the process.

Once on the production line, damaged cups are filtered out. A worker assesses how dirty the cup is and places it in a tub. The water current will gently push it onward.

Chou Hsien-ming
Reusable cup cleaning company
There’s stain remover powder in the water. When the water is 50 to 55 degrees in temperature, this powder is the best thing to remove the grime from the cups.

After the cups have rinsed in cleaning fluid, they go in the washing machine. The soap suds are rinsed away with spray, and they go in a high-temperature disinfectant machine. Finally they cool down in a drier, and are sent to an inspector who will check they’re up to standard before packing them up to be returned to the store. The whole process takes about 30 minutes. This facility can handle up to 6,000 cups a day. And to make sure standards are high, this test is also vital.

Chou Hsien-ming
Reusable cup cleaning company
The first batch of cups to be washed goes through a four-step test. We only put through a large batch of cups for that day after the first batch tests negative.

The cups are made with food-grade polypropylene, which can stand temperatures up to 120 degrees and be reused almost 1,000 times.

Wu Tsai-hua
Convenience store sharing services department
If about 10% of users can get in the habit of using a reusable cup, then over one year we will save 60 million cups, which is about 750,000 kilograms of garbage.

Tang Cheng
Reusable cup cleaning company
If the cup has any damage or scrapes on it, then it gets broken down and remade into another product, such as a flowerpot or a plastic container, a garbage can, or a plastic floor tile.

From cleaning and reuse systems, to recycling materials into new products, about 833 convenience stores and fast-food outlets in Taiwan are currently implementing some form of reusable cup, in an effort to make their businesses less wasteful.

2023-06-22

Dragon Boat Festival holiday marks the start of summertime weather patterns: CWB

2023-06-22

ITRI Elite Awards honor world-first eye drop treatment for wet macular degeneration