Health Bot: a project by the Rome Fermi School places second
Tommaso Abitante, Leonardo Bellomo, Matteo De Vivo, Tommaso Coviello, Stefano Magnani and Lorenzo Evangelisti are the six students from the Istituto tecnico industriale Enrico Fermi in Rome who designed Smemobox, an inclusive solution for taking medication. The project placed second in the Health Bot Creative Contest, one of the novelties introduced for the fourth edition of Project Factor J, promoted with Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine Italia [see news: Pharmabot Wins the HealthBot Contest].
Smemobox is a 3D-printed device in PLA material certified for use with food and is compatible with pharmaceutical products. Thanks to an application, the device provides patients with reminds of the medicine they need to take, directly from the Smemobox.
AN INTERVIEW WITH THE HEALTHLAB FERMI TEAM
What fascinates you about the world of technology and artificial intelligence?
We believe the world of technology and artificial intelligence is fascinating because of the potential it has to revolutionize sectors such as health, education, and production. Having the possibility of using it every day, we find its versatility in every field magnificent: art, music, and much more. We are, however, aware that it is important to respect ethical issues so as not to damage this world which is increasingly becoming our daily life.
Why did you decide to take part in this project and what did you like about Factor J and HealthBot?
Smemobox was born out of necessity. Many people, especially the elderly, have difficulty remembering to take their medicines and vitamins. Initially, it was not designed to participate in this competition, but as it met the criteria, we decided to present it. We liked the sessions with Factor J and HealthBot because they raise awareness amongst young men and women about the importance of science and correct scientific information for our collective well-being, highlighting how technological progress can be used to improve global health .
How do you think your invention will improve patients' lives?
We believe that patients who begin using Smemobox will immediately enjoy an improvement in their daily lives. No more invasive alarms on cell phones, no more useless reminder notes which, more often than not, go lost. We create independence for those who often struggle to remember when to take a medicine, or, more simply, we help athletes with their countless supplements. In short, we don't have a single target, but Smemobox can help many. We bring health aid with a hi-tech boost into everyone's days.
Looking to the future, how will the world of health change and how will we be treated?
Looking to the future, we think the world of health will be transformed in many ways. The thing that will change the most is real-time assistance. Thanks to the help of AI we will be able to have more and more help in real-time, both from a diagnostic and physical point of view. In a few years, we will begin to use increasingly smart devices until we arrive at real robotic assistants that will help us in hospitals, but also directly at home.
We can see how new technologies are already influencing the work we do. How do you believe new technologies will influence your professional future?
The use, for example, of ChatGPT for real-time assistance has changed the way we work on documents. It helps us do many things, such as providing ideas for writing documents. Together with other AI tools, it will make workflows much faster, but it will not entirely replace our professions.
