A professor and his students from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at National Chiao Tung University (NCTU) took part in the Stanford Center on Longevity Design Challenge. The team won third place in the “mind” category with their “Potalk” invention; a potted plant that can increase interaction between people.
NCTU says, the theme of the contest is “using happiness to optimize longevity.” As nowadays people often have poor relations with the elder members of the family, Professor Yang Bing-Shiang and his students, who are Tung Hsin-i, Chen Yu-jung, Hao Yu-hsiang, Huang Po-hsuan, Chen Yu-cheng and Wu Chao-che, researched and developed the Potalk potted plant. The plant has a sensor and reminder lights. When the plant detects the sound of conversation within the environment, it will store energy and after the stored energy reaches a certain amount, it will automatically release stored water and nutrients at an appropriate time according the characteristics and needs of the plant.
If it detects no sound of voices for a long period of time, the reminder lights will start to flicker, to remind people that it is time to chat with others around you, thereby increasing interaction between family members.
Photo courtesy of National Chiao Tung University
照片：交大提供
Huang says, in order to find out the needs of the elderly, the team members went to Hsinchu’s Eighteen Peak Mountain, traditional markets and many other places, where the elderly are concentrated, for research. One elderly person asked them, “I only live with a dog. Does speaking to a dog also count as a conversation?” Another asked, “Do quarrels count as communication?”
(Liberty Times, translated by Ethan Zhan)
交通大學機械系師生團隊參加史丹福高齡設計大賽，以促進人與人之間的溝通頻率的「Potalk」植物盆栽，拿下心智組第三名。
Photo courtesy of National Chiao Tung University
照片：交大提供
交大說，比賽主題是「如何利用快樂增進長壽」，現代人與家中長輩常有感情疏離問題，因此楊秉祥教授帶領學生董欣宜、陳昱融、郝昱翔、黃柏勳、陳毓丞、吳櫂哲研發Potalk植物盆栽，上面裝有感測器與提醒燈號，盆栽在生活環境中感測到對話聲音就會貯存能量，達到一定能量後，會依照植物特性與需要，自動適時釋放出預備的水分與養分。
若太久沒偵測到聲音，提醒燈號就會開始閃爍，提醒你：「該和身邊的人說說話了！」進而促進家人多多互動。
學生黃柏勳說，為了找出高齡者的需求，團隊成員到十八尖山、傳統市場等高齡長輩聚集地做調查。長輩提出「只跟狗住一起，跟牠說話算嗎？」「若是吵架算溝通嗎？」等有趣問題。
（自由時報記者洪美秀）
Many consumers are guilty of filling drawers or closets with old laptops, cellphones, fitness trackers and other electronic devices once they are no longer needed. It’s hard to know where to recycle such items, or it seems costly and inconvenient to do so. The world generates millions of tons of electronic waste — also called e-waste — each year. According to the UN’s most recent estimate, people worldwide produced 62 million metric tons of e-waste in 2022, and only about 22 percent of it was properly recycled. The US’ Environmental Protection Agency estimates that less than a quarter of e-waste is
You’re sitting in class when a classmate asks to borrow a pencil. It seems like a small favor, so you agree without hesitation. The following week, the same classmate asks to share your notes. Later, they request help with a group project. You agree each time — after all, you helped out the first time — but before you know it, it has become automatic. This scenario demonstrates the “foot-in-the-door technique,” a psychological concept that shows how agreeing to small, acceptable demands makes it easier to accept larger ones later on. The name for this strategy comes from door-to-door
Continued from yesterday（延續自昨日） https://www.taipeitimes.com/News/lang Gig Tripping “Gig tripping” combines concerts with travel. People fly to see their favorite artists perform — usually abroad—and spend a few days sightseeing before or after the show. While die-hard fans have done this since the 1960s, the post-pandemic travel boom changed the game. Even people who aren’t superfans are now booking international concert trips because they want to make the most of travel opportunities. This trend exploded in the US, as the math makes sense. Domestic concert tickets are so costly that flying abroad for the show plus tourism expenses often matches or even beats the price
A: The four-day Tomb Sweeping Day long weekend begins Friday and will run until Monday. Are you going to sweep your ancestors’ tombs? B: I did in advance last weekend, so I can go to Kaohsiung to see the musical “The Phantom of the Opera.” A: Wow, is “Phantom” touring Taiwan again? It debuted in 1986, so this year marks the 40th anniversary of the show. B: And it’s not just touring Kaohsiung starting March 31, but also Taipei starting April 21 and Taichung starting May 26. A: “Phantom” is one of the world’s Four Major Musicals. I’ve seen all of them, except “Les
RSS