ISU Pioneers AI-Driven Approach to Children’s Handwriting Research and Wins NSTC Research Creativity Award
Amid the nationwide efforts of universities to develop healthcare and smart medicine talent, the Department of Occupational Therapy at I-Shou University has demonstrated exceptional academic strength and clinical potential. The Department has not only stood out multiple times in student research projects funded by the National Science and Technology Council (NSTC), but its graduates have also been frequent achievers on the national licensure examinations for occupational therapists, making it an important base for cultivating occupational therapy professionals in southern Taiwan.
In recent years, as AI technology rapidly integrates into the medical field, ISU, the only private comprehensive university in southern Taiwan with a college of medicine, once again demonstrates its strong foundation in healthcare. Cho-Yu Wang, a student from the Department of Occupational Therapy, received funding from the NSTC in 2024 for her project “The Relationship between Core Muscle Strength in Children and Their Writing Posture and Performance.” In 2025, she was further honored with the NSTC’s “College Student Research Creativity Award,” standing out among numerous outstanding projects nationwide and setting an example of excellence in balancing academic research with clinical application.
“This study adopted an innovative computer–vision–based skeletal analysis, combined with depth cameras for three-dimensional skeletal positioning, to explore the relationship between core muscle strength and handwriting posture. The goal was to better understand how postural stability influences writing performance, with potential applications in future clinical assessments. I am especially grateful to Professor Shao-Hsia Chang for her meticulous guidance throughout the research process,” award recipient Cho-Yu Wang remarked. “Successfully securing NSTC funding for the College Student Research Project and receiving the College Student Research Creativity Award reflects the collective experience and dedication of both faculty and students. It also highlights the outstanding performance of ISU students in bridging theoretical research with practical application. Leveraging the strengths of a comprehensive university, ISU has long been committed to executing research projects, publishing in academic journals, and pursuing domestic and international patents, all with the aim of cultivating professionals with both expertise and innovative thinking,” said Professor Shao-Hsia Chang.
Over the past few years, the Department of Occupational Therapy has demonstrated outstanding academic strength and clinical potential, positioning itself as a key educational hub for health care in southern Taiwan. The Department emphasizes a solid theoretical foundation and actively enhances clinical training and the integration of interdisciplinary technologies. The Department is dedicated to cultivating a new generation of occupational therapy professionals equipped with AI literacy, clinical judgment, and global mobility, leveraging the resources of ISU’s College of Medicine and its affiliated medical system. In response to the rapid transformation of global health technologies, ISU continues to advance health care education with a forward-looking vision and cross-disciplinary practice.
