[Life Act 3 Companies] "Elderly Living Alone, Today Is Different from Usual"... AI Detects Health Warning Signs

Jinmyung Kim, CEO of JCF Technology

#A elderly single-person household resident, Mr. A, living in Gangnam-gu, Seoul, was able to safely overcome a dangerous situation earlier this year when he nearly collapsed alone at home. The biometric signal detection sensor installed in Mr. A’s home saved his life. The Gangnam Comprehensive Social Welfare Center’s control center detected abnormal signs through the 'McKare' radar sensor installed in Mr. A’s home, and data analysis showed that Mr. A’s oxygen saturation had dropped to a dangerous level and he was showing symptoms of respiratory distress. The welfare center immediately collaborated with social welfare officers from the Gaepo 3-dong Community Service Center for an emergency dispatch and transported Mr. A to the hospital. Without this system, Mr. A could have faced a dangerous situation leading to solitary death.

Five 'McKare' devices are installed in Mr. A’s home, monitoring his body temperature, heart rate, respiration, falls, and behavior patterns 24 hours a day. This is part of the single-person elderly household crisis response monitoring project implemented by the Gangnam Comprehensive Social Welfare Center since last year, serving as a reliable support system responsible for the safety of elderly single-person households.

On October 29th, Kim Jin-myung, CEO of JCF Technology, is being interviewed by Asia Economy. Photo by Park Yoo-jin

'McKare' was developed by JCF Technology’s CEO Jinmyung Kim (53), a former researcher who has been in charge of research and development at a domestic microwave specialized company’s laboratory for over 20 years, and completed his doctoral studies majoring in microwave engineering dealing with radio waves. The company he founded in 2016 with the ambition to develop radar technology into an IoT innovative product has now expanded into global markets including the United States, Germany, Australia, and Saudi Arabia.

McKare means "caring for the pulse (맥,脈) with Korean (Korea) technology." This product, developed with purely domestic technology, has completed patent registration and recently succeeded in commercialization. Its distinctive feature is that it is a non-contact device rather than a wearable one. Meeting with Asia Economy at the office in Geumcheon-gu, Seoul on the 29th, CEO Kim said, "Research shows that one of the things the elderly most want is to be cared for comfortably at home," adding, "McKare is evaluated as meeting this need." Next year, with support from the Public Procurement Service, they plan to participate in the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), considered the world’s largest tech show.

Kim Jin-myung, CEO of JCF Technology, explained, "While existing sensors detect danger when an accident such as a fall by an elderly person is imminent, 'MacCare' differs in that it detects changes in daily patterns and alerts the possibility of an accident occurring in advance." Photo by Park Yoo-jin

-What was the specific motivation for developing biometric radar technology for senior care?

▲The decisive trigger was my father’s sudden stroke. He received incorrect treatment due to a misdiagnosis in the emergency room, and thanks to a friend who is a specialist at a university hospital, he was urgently transferred to the emergency room and narrowly escaped a serious situation. We found out belatedly that there had been signs for several months. Many elderly people face situations like my father’s. I resolved to develop technology that can manage their usual health status and suspicious symptoms remotely. However, existing biometric measurement methods were inconvenient because they had to be worn like shackles. Then I thought of using radar technology, and during experiments, I discovered it could detect even minute movements. I became confident that it could measure heart rate and respiration as well. I was convinced this could lead not just to simple technology development but to solving real social problems.

-What are the main features and technical differentiators of McKare?

▲It can be installed in bedrooms, bathrooms, living rooms, etc., allowing long-term monitoring. It does not just detect falls but also tracks changes in lifestyle habits. For example, it detects in real time actions such as going to the bathroom at night or descending stairs. It can detect subtle changes that are difficult to identify with cameras, without privacy concerns. Implemented as AI on-device, it can accurately judge behavior patterns. While existing sensors on the market only measured simple factors like vibration or weight, McKare enables more precise and intelligent monitoring through radar technology.

-How is data collected and utilized?

▲As the user’s daily data accumulates, individual lifestyle habits are profiled. Characteristics of biometric information such as heart rate and respiration patterns are created, and changes are observed based on this. For example, a unique pattern forms where the heart beats four times for every one breath. When this pattern breaks, a biomarker is generated to judge abnormal signs, enabling preventive smart care. Especially, judging that automation or AI alone is insufficient, an integrated solution is provided that considers emotional care by caregivers or medical staff based on the collected data.

-What are the specific applications and market responses to the non-contact sensor?

▲We started simply by developing and selling sensors, but the market struggled because they did not know how to use them. So we developed the service platform ourselves. We have now transformed from a hardware manufacturer into a platform service company. The web-based platform allows real-time monitoring through sensors installed in different spaces, and heart rate and respiration data can be checked immediately. The feature that analyzes individual lifestyle patterns and sends instant alerts when unusual points different from usual are detected has received high praise.

-What are the future business directions and market prospects?

▲As the population structure changes into an inverted pyramid shape, it is expected that there will be a shortage of personnel to care for seniors. To address this, we are planning to build a 'Digital Well-Live Community' platform for users to share information and experiences. Since most seniors want to enjoy cultural activities at home, we aim to solve this through an online community. We also plan to expand into medical services such as remote diagnosis linked with clinic businesses. Especially, we expect many business opportunities in countries with primary care systems like Japan and the United States, linked with private clinics.

A dashboard that remotely monitors patients' biometric information using MacCare in a long-term care hospital. Photo by MacCare

-What are the current real-world applications and user feedback?

▲The demonstration project underway in Gangnam-gu is representative. It was selected as an excellent case by Seoul City and presented at the Technology Fair for Accompanying the Vulnerable. There was a case where the situation of a solitary elderly person who left home at 4 a.m. was immediately identified and their safety confirmed. Especially, care workers on site predict the health status of residents through McKare. They show high satisfaction because the system can be used intuitively with just simple training.

-What is the status and outlook of the domestic and international markets?

▲About 20,000 sensors are installed and operated domestically and internationally. In the domestic market, public institutions and large construction companies are actively considering adoption. It is being introduced in senior towns of large construction companies soon to be completed, such as Laouer in Gijang, Busan, and VL Le West in Magok, Seoul, and has also been installed in nursing facilities in China. In the U.S. market, a business model linked with private insurance is being prepared.

-What are the future business plans and investment attraction plans?

▲Next year, we are preparing an easy-to-install product to enter the B2C market. We plan to build a 'Digital Well-Live Community' and create a cross-care system. Considering that the senior generation is familiar with digital and online, we will create communities among patients and caregivers to also utilize remote diagnosis. We aim for sales of 3 billion KRW this year, and expect more than double growth next year due to the completion of currently applied projects and local government budget execution. Despite the bio-investment market being sluggish, the silver industry is emerging as a new alternative, receiving positive responses for investment attraction. We are preparing for series investment from financial holding companies in the second half of the year and plan to go public in the future.