adaptive wellness ally

What if AI interfaces integrated human cultural contexts in enhancing human health?

Supported by DesignSingapore, adaptive wellness ally redefines care systems, positioning robots and AI as active participants in cultural inclusivity and personal care. Built for Singapore’s elderly—who often struggle with accessing reliable healthcare due to language challenges—this project reimagines AI as a culturally-aware assistant. Developed and tested with over 30 elderly participants, adaptive wellness ally tailors its design to real user needs. This project led to a 43% increase in trust in AI response, upon evaluative research with my participants.

Using tools like Kinect and Mediapipe, the system captures gestures, speech, and environmental context, processing them with OpenAI’s CLIP for cultural inference. These inputs shape ChatGPT’s responses in real time, adapting to users’ cultural identities, languages, and preferences. By integrating adaptive interfaces with gestural and audio inputs, the project combines design ethnography with machine learning systems.

Role: Independent HCI Researcher
Collaborator: Chua Jia Xiang, Asst. Director, Tan Tock Seng Hospital
Date: 15 June 2023 - 14 June 2024