Artificial intelligence is increasingly affecting our lives and bringing many opportunities, as well as risks. Within the Startup Plus program, in cooperation with SEF, Technology Park Ljubljana and the Ljubljana University Incubator, a vertical acceleration program for recipients of financial incentives of the Fund in the field of health is underway. With the help of the first workshop on the topic of (Digital) product development in the field of health and well-being, you could gain a lot of knowledge and experience on how to place a digital product on the health market. You can read more about artificial intelligence and how it was used in the MedicoApps startup below. The head of the Center for Artificial Intelligence at the University of Maribor, Vili Podgorelec, told us more about it.

Artificial intelligence or AI is an extremely effective tool that involves processing data in a special way. It's pretty unintelligent, as it blindly follows a rule. Artificial intelligence learns to predict using machine learning techniques.

Use of artificial intelligence in detecting pilots' stress

Vili presented us with an example that was made in a laboratory at the University of Maribor with the startup company MedicoApps. In the mentioned start-up company, they developed a prototype solution that measures various physiological factors of people. With the help of a device placed on the pilot's arm, they want to determine the psychophysical condition of the pilot. The solution to this problem has been tackled, as many plane crashes are caused by the pilot's inadequate condition. The idea of the device is to detect the condition of the pilot, whether he is too tired, or too stressed, etc. The device would then report it with a signal in a timely manner.

How did they tackle this?

First, they wondered which data would report the pilot’s condition and how the data obtained would help them predict any problems.

They had to use data that could be collected. They found it relatively easy to capture an ECG. Heart rate variability, which can be measured with a simple fitness wristband or smartwatch, indicated an increase in stress. They were also aware that the data was a bit distorted at the beginning, so they reworked it to make it relevant. They determined what those characteristics were that would give them the relevant information, for which they could also know the domain (they measured the average pulse, etc.) and obtain the input data.

They then simulated a similar state of a person. With one technique they put the person in a state of relaxation and with another technique they put them in a state of psychological stress and again in a state of relaxation. Once they had the initial data, they were able to start calculating. The supervisor looked at the data and with its help they were able to predict in advance.

Interested in how to market a digital health product? Read more here. 

Health Tech Growth Acceleration Program

As part of the Startup Plus program, the Slovene Enterprise Fund, in cooperation with the Ljubljana Technology Park and the Ljubljana University Incubator, is organizing a vertical acceleration program, which is available free of charge to all recipients of the Fund's financial incentives in the field of health. As part of the program, the Partner Hack program has been prepared for the participants, four educational workshops are currently underway, and in the future they will have a conference on the vertical health promoter and two informal community meetings.

Many great Startup Plus programs

The Slovene Enterprise Fund also organizes many other top entrepreneurial programs for portfolio companies, such as the Push2start Acceleration Program, Startup Clinic, SK GROWTH CAMP, NextRound, GROWdigital, KorpoStart, INTL, Nextround, School for Investors, HardwareSTART, CEED Founders Talk and ScaleUPgrade. The content programs effectively complement the financial products P2, SK75 and SI-SK, which provide Slovenian start-up companies with EUR 54,000 to EUR 600,000 in start-up funds.

click to see other programs

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Content support for recipients of P2, SK75 or SI-SK financial products under the "de minimis" scheme is co-financed from the Slovene Enterprise Fund and the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund. This is implemented on the basis of the Content Support for Funds Recipients (SMEs) Programme in the 2018-2023 period, under the Operational Programme for the Implementation of the European Cohesion Policy 2014-2020.

Anemari Pediček

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