Mother’s cancer episodes spur Hong Kong app developer to use tech to track patients’ emotional distress
- Patients’ mood monitored round the clock by smartphone app using software, artificial intelligence
- Early clinical trials have begun on cancer patients, who are vulnerable to depression, anxiety
Hongkonger Cameron van Breda grew up watching his mother deal with three different types of cancer for more than 18 years and knows first-hand that serious illnesses can affect a patient’s emotional state and recovery.
That experience led the 24-year-old tech entrepreneur to develop Hollo, a mobile application to track users’ moods and levels of distress so that they could receive the help they need.
The idea grew out of a social innovation course he attended at the University of Hong Kong (HKU) in 2019, and his discussions with some of his classmates.
“We figured that the mental health situation in Hong Kong was dire, and we all had our experiences with depression and anxiety,” he recalled.
He and two classmates started working on Hollo that year, using deep technology, a blend of software and artificial intelligence (AI).
Their early efforts won the top prize of HK$780,000 (US$100,000) at Microsoft’s 2020 global Imagine Cup for viable start-ups and tech innovation, spurring them to press on.
The smartphone app helps to evaluate a patient’s mental health, using AI from videos, voice and mobile sensors to suggest treatments such as breathing and mindfulness exercises.