As the COVID-19 crisis continues, the importance of mental health care is emerging in every country alongside the severity of mental health problems such as depression and fatigue. Accordingly, Korean researchers at the Electronics and Communications Research Institute (ETRI) are working to develop the “WellMind” stress measurement and management platform and customized solutions through joint international research. The Well Mind program is expected to usher in an era of accurate and convenient mental care based on artificial intelligence and wearable devices such as smartphones and smartwatches.

What is the difference between the “healthy mind” of the new mental health care with artificial intelligence?

In the past, there have been continuous attempts to take care of users’ mental health by collecting vital data such as sleep patterns, heart rate and body temperature through the wearable devices they usually wear. However, when measuring the psychological aspect through biometric data, a large error occurs depending on a number of factors such as the different inclinations and attitudes of the individual user, exercise status and environment.

In addition to wearable devices, Wellmind works with a breathing sensor to provide work environment data such as lighting, fine dust, temperature, humidity, noise, carbon dioxide, and odor, as well as work information such as hours, work schedules, and work patterns by linking to a Google Calendar. Comprehensively, measure stress at work more accurately.

In contrast to current technologies that focus on reducing temporary stress, Well Mind focuses on long-term use according to the business cycle. It provides not only stress analysis and forecasting through artificial intelligence, but also a comprehensive management service for working hours and the environment. For example, if the AI ​​that collected work information recognizes stress and overload, it will reconfigure the user’s schedule in an ad hoc manner. In addition, through the application (application) model, user accessibility and convenience are captured together.

VR content has also been completed to relieve stress.

Wellmind, an AI-based stress platform, plans to provide personalized stress solutions through stress analysis and work schedule measured in real time. According to the user’s stress level and personal preference, various solutions are provided such as drinking tea, listening to music, stretching and meditation.

The effects of stress relief and pain relief using virtual reality (VR) have been reported in several studies, so the research team has completed production of VR content for stress relief and is currently investigating its effectiveness. In addition, through the application, you can understand the change of state before and after solving stress relief at a glance, allowing you to manage stress more conveniently and intuitively.

International cooperation to combat employee stress using artificial intelligence

The project is a European “EU ITEA3 Mad @ Work project” in which 17 organizations from 5 countries are participating, including Korea, Finland, Austria, Spain and Portugal. As a EUREKA CLUSTER project of the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, since December 2019, it has continued close international cooperation. While the Korean ETRI research team focuses on the development of wearable devices and applications, the Finnish Technology Research Center (VTT) measures computer usage patterns, software, keypresses, and mouse click patterns through in-house developed software, keyboards, mice, and gauges. Cyber ​​Security Nixu protects the security of the data and the privacy of the users it collects.

What is the current situation and future plans?

Currently, the research team is analyzing the results of an online survey by country with the European Union to reflect different cultural differences in the collection and analysis of stress information and preference for mitigating solutions. Additionally, according to ETRI Research Director Hyunsook Kim, and a senior researcher at ETRI, “data collection and refinement technology is key” and “currently, it is in the learning data collection phase to increase model accuracy.”

In the future, the research team plans to improve the degree of completion of the AI ​​analysis model and expand its use after it is optimized for office workers. In addition, he said he plans to contribute to the spread of personalized healthcare services by transferring technology to local and foreign digital health companies.

Stress prevention, diagnosis, resolution and rapid management of workers will contribute to improving mental well-being and productivity of the organization and society, and in various digital and well-being industries. “Smart mental healthcare” is the product of the combination of technologies such as artificial intelligence, big data and the Internet of Things. It is expected that the future in which the development of modern science and technology will contribute to a “happy life” is not far off.