“ViaBus,” an innovation by Chula engineering alumni, wins the DEmark Award 2023 in Thailand and the Good Design Award (G-Mark) in Japan

Congratulations to the ViaBus Application, developed by alumni of Chula Faculty of Engineering, for winning Thailand’s Design Excellence Award (DEmark) 2023 in the category of Systems, Services, Digital Platform, Online Interface Design, Apps for Smartphones and Tablets, Website.

A smartphone’s camera and flash could help people measure blood oxygen levels at home

Conditions like asthma or COVID-19 make it harder for bodies to absorb oxygen from the lungs. In a proof-of-principle study, University of Washington and University of California San Diego researchers have shown that smartphones are capable of detecting blood oxygen saturation levels down to 70%. This is the lowest value that pulse oximeters should be able to measure, as recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

Smartphone Use Associated with Unhealthy Eating and Overweight in Teens

Even moderate smartphone use may influence teens’ diet and weight, according to a new study of more than 53,000 Korean adolescents. Teens who used a smartphone for more than 2 hours per day were significantly more likely to eat more junk food and fewer fruits and vegetables than those spending less time on their phone. Teens spending more than 3 hours per day on a smartphone were significantly more likely to be overweight or obese.

Chula Turns Old Smartphones into 2,500 Microscopes for Schools

Chulalongkorn University, in cooperation with the Ministry of Digital Economy and Society, will retrofit 500 old smartphones donated by Thai Samsung Electrics, Co., Ltd. with CU Smart Lens invented by Professor Sanong Akasit, Ph.D., Department of Chemistry, Faculty of Science, and turn them into microscopes. The microscopes will be donated to 500 marginal schools throughout the country as part of the “2,500 Microscopes from Old Cell Phones for Marginal Schools“ project, which supports equal opportunity in science education for all.

Smartphone Use Offers Tool to Treat MS, Other Diseases

Monitoring how patients with multiple sclerosis or other degenerative diseases use their smartphones could provide valuable information to help get them better treatment. In the journal Chaos, researchers used an app to record the keystroke dynamics of a control group and those of subjects in various stages of MS treatment. In doing so, they observed changes in the way people with MS typed that were not seen in subjects who did not have the disease.

Many will update to iPhone 12 even if they can’t afford it

Smartphones vital to mental health for many during the COVID-19 pandemic The iPhone 12 was presented at Apple’s livestream keynote on Oct. 13 and will release on Oct. 23. People will purchase Apple’s new phone even if they can’t afford…

Computer Vision Technology Helps Analyze Michigan Dam Collapse

New Brunswick, N.J. (June 26, 2020) – Rutgers engineers have created a 3D model of last month’s devastating break in the Edenville Dam in Michigan, using the emerging technology of computer vision to analyze a smartphone video posted on social…

NUS engineers invent smartphone device that detects harmful algae in 15 minutes

A team of engineers from the National University of Singapore has developed a highly sensitive system that uses a smartphone to rapidly detect the presence of toxin-producing algae in water within 15 minutes. This technological breakthrough could play a big role in preventing the spread of harmful microorganisms in aquatic environments, which could threaten global public health and cause environmental problems.