AI4DH in 2026 IBME Open Day

On 11th March 2026, the Institute of Biomedical Engineering (IBME) hosted its annual Open Day, welcoming secondary school students to explore how biomedical engineering and artificial intelligence are transforming healthcare. The AI4DH Lab took part in the event, presenting a series of interactive demonstrations showcasing how AI technologies can support both physical and mental health monitoring.

During the demonstrations, visitors were introduced to several real-world applications of AI in healthcare. One demonstration showed how standard cameras can function as non-invasive physiological sensors, enabling contactless real-time heart rate monitoring. By analysing subtle fluctuations in facial skin colour caused by blood flow and applying signal processing techniques such as Fourier transforms, the system extracts accurate heart rate information without the need for wearable devices. Another demonstration focused on real-time emotion recognition, where computer vision models analyse facial movements and micro-expressions to assess a person’s emotional state, illustrating potential applications in remote mental health monitoring and psychological assessment. A third demonstration introduced a multi-agent system designed to improve accessibility for patients with disabilities, highlighting how AI-driven assistive technologies can support more inclusive healthcare solutions.

The demonstrations were delivered by doctoral student Chenqi Li, postdoctoral research assistant Yu Liu and Shuo Zhang. Through these interactive sessions, the AI4DH Lab aimed to inspire young visitors to consider future careers in STEM while demonstrating how cutting-edge research can contribute to improving healthcare and wellbeing.