Xiaomi, the popular smartphone brand, is now entering the online mutual aid industry in China. The relatively new industry has been growing fast in the region and the Chinese tech giant has launched a new crowdfunding health care platform within the market, which will rival other major tech brands as well.

The new platform is called Xiaomi Huzhu and is now open for preregistration in Mainland China. This new endeavor is headed by Xiaomi Finance, the company’s financial technology branch, and will offer the new platform through its app and the company’s official WeChat account, starting next Monday (15th June 2020). To explain the service in a simple term, members share the cost of a claim only when it has been verified. So for a 1000 Yuan claim, 1 Yuan will be shared by 1000 people.

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Within the new service, customers can opt to join in with no upfront fee and claim up to 500,000 Yuan (roughly 70,000 US Dollars) for critical illnesses. The list of the illnesses includes 82 major diseases and 10 serious ailments specific to children. Members of the platform are also eligible to receive 24/7 medical checkup and consultation in real-time online.

At the moment, it is unknown as to how much revenue Xiaomi is pouring into the platform. Currently, its internet based services have generation 2.5 billion Yuan (roughly 353 million US Dollars) in the first quarter of 2020 (growing by 5.1 percent) and mainly consists of financial technology and gaming. Thus, it is unknown how the new service will contribute to the company’s overall internet services segment, although, the company is expected to reach a massive userbase of 450 million users by 2025.

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Scientists have developed a new form of bandage which is capable of diagnosing bacterial infections by changing color. It also administers early medication that can potentially help combat antibiotic resistance in cases of infection and save thousands of lives.

The new ‘smart’ bandage can detect which bacteria are present in the body and releases early medication to prevent further symptoms. According to researchers in China, this development could lead to the ‘rational use’ of antibiotics. To elaborate on this, antibiotics are generally prescribed as a precaution until an infection is cured. However, this leads to bacteria becoming immune or resistant to certain antibiotics, which in turn makes it hard to cure an ailing patient.

Thus, the smaller dosage at an appropriate time frame can reduce needless overdose of antibiotics and make the phenomenon less frequent, as drugs nowadays are accelerating the process of immunity for bacterias. Currently, 700,000 deaths worldwide have been attributed to antibiotic resistance, making it one of the largest threats to global health, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).

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Hence, tools like the new bandage which reduces the need for precaution and helps in the early determination of the infection may lead to more lives being saved in the future. Early testing of the bandage was done of mice that were infected with either drug-sensitive or drug-resistant Escherichia coli (E.coli) bacteria. The researchers then administered a material that can assess microenvironments, i.e, detect the bacteria on their wounds.

If the tests were on the drug sensitive E.coli, then the bandage turned green to yellow and released an antibiotic that killed the bacteria. On the other hand, if the drug-resistant bacteria were tested, the bandage turned red after coming into contact with an enzyme specifically produced by the drug resistant Escherichia coli. After this, the researchers exposed the bandages to light to release a chemical that weakened the bacteria to make them more vulnerable to medicine.

Timing is key when sensing and treating the bacterial infection, as a quick diagnosis can speed patient’s recovery and reduce the risk of spreading antibiotic resistant microbes. Notably, the new bandage is supposedly a low cost alternative to traditional methods of diagnosing and can rival even the more expensive and time consuming instruments used today.

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A new AI powered prosthetic hand has been developed that allows a person to move it with one’s mind. The latest breakthrough works in sync with an amputee’s brain waves and muscle signals to replicate the movement that one would’ve made with a real hand.

BrainCo, the company behind the prosthetic hand, unveiled the final model at CES 2020, on Monday. Notably, the firm also received a spot in one of Time Magazine’s top 100 inventions of 2019. The company is also expecting to start shipping the new prosthetic hand in the US market later this year as well.

According to Max Newlon, President of BrainCo, the company has developed a new method of understanding electrical impulses from the brain going into the residual limb of an amputee. The prosthetic hand then detects the intention of the user and translates it to real world movements.

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Reportedly, it takes just about 5 to 10 minutes to program six gestures into the prosthetic hand, which apparently gets better and more life like the more one moves the hand. Another benefit of the new AI powered prosthetic hand is the cost. Typical robotic prosthetic limbs can be priced around $60,000 (roughly 416,526 Yuan), however, the BrainCo’s new prosthetic hand could be priced between $10,000 to $15,000 (roughly 70,000 to 100,000 Yuan).

Currently, the AI powered prosthetic hand is awaiting FDA (Food and Drug Administration) approval process, which means once it is cleared, BrainCo can start officially selling the product. With over hundreds of million amputees worldwide, the new invention could be a boon to many, including war veterans or those born with physical defects.

For more coverage of CES 2020 launches and events, click here.

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According to insiders, Xiaomi will release a mobile phone aimed at the elderly. This phone will provide smart medical services and help older users make long-distance doctor’s appointments. This is just a part of Xiaomi’s smart home system.

Old people can use this phone to consult with doctors online while relaxing at home. No other services have been announced. So far, there has been no confirmation from Xiaomi.

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