New Taipei City Tamsui Mackay Memorial Hospital AI-powered smart ignition detection and no-smoking broadcast system

Mackay Memorial Hospital in Tamsui, New Taipei City, has launched Taiwan's first "AI-powered Smart Ignition Detection and No-Smoking Broadcast System" in designated smoking hotspots. Whenever a thermal imaging camera detects smoking in a monitored area, the system automatically broadcasts a message, aiming to protect public health, promote a smoke-free hospital environment, and prevent arguments and conflicts arising from residents asking others to refrain from smoking. Mackay Memorial Hospital has always been committed to promoting smoking cessation. Previously, outdoor spaces around the hospital (flowerbeds, waiting areas, etc.), while considered outdoor areas, were still within the hospital's no-smoking zone. During smoking cessation campaigns, arguments and even serious conflicts often occurred between residents and hospital staff. This new system, combining AI image recognition from thermal imaging cameras, automatically plays a smoking prevention broadcast when the system detects smoking in a hotspot, preventing conflicts with smokers and effectively reminding and encouraging them to quit. Mackay Memorial Hospital's pioneering application of this technology has yielded remarkable results and has been recognized with the International Gold Award for Smoke-Free Hospitals.