China is one of the world's largest producers of radars, with its products widely used across military, public and commercial fields. Now, a scientist in Shanghai and his colleagues have applied radars to the healthcare sector.

Gu Changzhan, an associate professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said on Sunday that Shanghai Hecaray Technology, a radar startup with close connection to the university, has developed and produced several models of non-contact health monitoring products that are based on millimeter-wave radar technologies.

Gu said that in light of China's rapidly aging population and the large number of people living with various cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, millimeter-wave radar technologies will prove to be very helpful in healthcare and medical services.

Shanghai Hecaray Technology has been working with several hospitals in the city to carry out clinical validation and data accumulation of its products, which have been used to monitor apnea syndrome, neonatal intermittent hypoxia, cardiopulmonary chronic diseases and other medical conditions, added Gu, who is the company's cofounder.

According to Gu, who specializes in radio frequency, microwave and millimeter wave technologies, millimeter-wave radar is a category of radar that uses short-wavelength electromagnetic waves for detection and sensing.

In traditional applications, the technology can measure the distance, speed and angle of targets within its monitoring range, as well as their position, motion trajectory and posture. In recent years, scientists and engineers have found that this technology can also be used to detect human vital signs.

Based on the Doppler effect, a millimeter-wave radar transmits electromagnetic waves and captures their backscattering, thereby obtaining motion information on the human body surface in a contact-free way.

"This allows non-intrusive and privacy-preserving acquisition of vital sign data, such as human respiration and heartbeat, and perception of human presence and motion trajectory.

"Compared with other detection methods such as laser, infrared and ultrasonic technologies, millimeter-wave radar delivers better overall performance and cost-effectiveness. It can operate under adverse conditions, including smoke, high temperatures, intense light and extreme darkness, with low operating costs, a wide detection range and no infringement of personal privacy," Gu said on the sidelines of a three-day 6th Radar Future Conference that opened in Qingdao, Shandong province, on Saturday.

To date, Gu and his team have produced products such as sleep monitors, vital signs monitors, fall alarms, and trajectory sensors, and sold them to more than 20 countries and regions.

All components on these products, ranging from chips to resistors, are made in China, he added.

The 6th Radar Future Conference is jointly hosted by the China Radio Detection And Ranging Industry Association, the China Radar Industry Science and Technology Committee, and Shandong University.

A number of academicians from the Chinese Academy of Sciences and the Chinese Academy of Engineering have participated in the conference and delivered academic reports.

More than 1,000 professionals in the radar industry, both from abroad and local, as well as over 300 enterprises, gathered to attend the event.

The conference features 22 themed forums, which cover a wide variety of topics including the low-altitude economy, quantum technology, embodied intelligence, and AI-enabled innovation.