Bangkok--21 Aug--JC&CO PUBLIC RELATIONS
With the surface area of more than 510 million square kilometers, the world is divided into four oceans and seven continents, each of which has a unique of geography, climate, population ethnicity, lifestyle and culture. These creates different challenges and demands. The needs of the ASEAN people are different from Europeans. This requires innovation and technology to tailor to the demands of the local people.
- Upgrading Transportation Innovation
"Smart Bike Meter: An Innovation for Upgrading Motorbike Taxi"
From Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Thammasat University
The GPS, "Smart Bike Meter" calculates fares, detects traffic conditions and warns riders of accidents ahead. By using their smart phone to scan the QR Code or the NFC on the back of the taxi driver's shirt, passengers can download name, age, license number of the driver, the route and fare. An additional meter equipped on the right motorcycle handlebar which shows the fare and allows texts to be sent automatically to relevant agencies in case of an accident. According to the previous statistics, Indonesia and Vietnam have a large particularly number of motorbike users, while in 2017, Thailand had the highest road accident rate in the world, most of which involve motorcycles. This therefore meets a real demand in the ASEAN region.
- Health Development Innovation
"Sweetened Condensed Rice Milk: A Delicious Alternative for Healthy People"
From Department of Food Science and Technology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Thammasat University
Recent statistics from the United Nations identify countries in the ASEAN region, Malaysia, Thailand, Singapore and the Philippines as having overweight populations, the highest average of which is 44.2% percent. Thailand has 32.2% of overweight population which directly affects health. "Sweetened condensed rice milk" is, therefore, an innovation which can solve this problem because it is produced from grains free of trans fat with the ingredients of jasmine rice milk and prebiotic syrup from Jerusalem artichoke and rice bran oil. The sweetened condensed rice milk meets the 3 Ls: 1) less sugar - six times lower than conventional sweetened condensed milk, 2) less fat – containing no palm oil, and 3) less calories - from Jerusalem artichoke contains and Inulin which has prebiotic properties. It provides only 30 kilocalories per 20 grams.
"Smart Real-Time Pregnancy Monitor: A Reassurance for Mothers To Be"
From Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Thammasat University
The "Smart Real-Time Pregnancy Monitor" is fast, convenient and provides obstetricians and expecting mothers with the physical information necessary to diagnose and intervene in possible complication such as contraction of the uterus, blood pressure and the heart rate of the fetus. This information is recorded and transmitted from the device to an application in real time, providing an instant diagnosis. If any abnormality is detected, the physician can immediately refer the mother to a specialist, reducing the risk to the mother and fetus. In Laos, the death rate of mothers due to complications during pregnancy and childbirth is 182 per 100,000, the highest in ASEAN. The number of teenage mothers has risen rapidly in ASEAN, to 44 per 1,000 in 15-19 age group. This innovation will reduce the stress of pregnancy and avoid unnecessary hospital visits.
- Innovation for Ageing Society
"Sit to Stand: An Innovation Improving the Quality of Life of the Elderly"
From Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Thammasat University
"Sit to Stand" is an innovative a sit-stand exercise for the elderly which allows them to exercise on their own. By improving the health of the elderly, this addresses a challenge of the ageing society. Thai Department of Older Persons anticipates that the number of elderly in the ASEAN countries will double over the next 15 years. This is a chair whose level and force can be adjusted. It allows the user to sit and stand repeatedly, up to 10 - 15 times a day. The chair has 3 systems that help to build the physique. 1) A weight support system: in the seat reduces exertion and helps to move the body into a standing position. It can be adjusted to 20 - 80 percent of the body weight, depending on their strength and readiness of the user. 2) Knee collapse prevention system: a spring installed in the chair reduces the shock to the ankles and knees, allowing the user to sit and stand safely. 3) Balance analysis system: this analyzes the movement of the user. The application of biomechanics then reduces the risk of accident or injury.
- Innovation for e-Commerce Statistics
"Bag-tector App: Allowing Shopaholics to Buy Brand-Name Bags While Avoiding Counterfeits"
From Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Thammasat University
According to, Google and Temasek Holdings, the value online trading and e-commerce in 2017 reached 50 billion US dollars. This is expected to grow to 200 billion within the next 10 years. E-commerce may then replace tourism as the most profitable business in ASEAN. However, an associated problem is the sale of counterfeited goods. This is particularly rife in the sale the market for brand-name bags. The "Bag-tector App" has been developed to identify whether a bag is authentic or counterfeited. It uses artificial intelligence (AI) to verify the authenticity of the bag, and displays the result via the application on a smart phone with simple steps. The user simply captures a photo of the bag logo. The "process" button sends the photo to a database where the logo is authenticated and the materials used are identified. This takes no longer than 30 seconds. Then advises the user informing users if the bag in question is authentic or not.
"Innovation and technology development is a service that Thammasat provides to the public."
According to Assoc. Prof. Gasinee Witoonchart, President of Thammasat University, these 5 innovations are only a small sample of the output of Thammasat researchers, lecturers and students. The objectives of Thammasat University are to promote excellence in science and technology, and to gain international recognition for Thai research. The research conducted at Thammasat University has the objective of improving the quality of life, through innovations in medical, health and transportation. We believe that our deep understanding of the demands and challenges of the ASEAN populations support our vision of being "The University for The Public".
For more information, please contact Corporate Communications, Thammasat University at 02-564-4493 or visit www.tu.ac.th/news