Imagine if machines could help preserve something deeply human: our dignity.
Driven by a deep desire to preserve independence for those living with Alzheimer鈥檚 Disease and/or related dementias, Dr. Humayun Rashid is using artificial intelligence and robotics to reimagine what compassionate care can look like鈥攏ot just for patients, but also for the caregivers who support them every day. His work is about designing systems that ease emotional and physical burdens while enhancing quality of life for everyone involved.
That vision found its spark at Weatherhead School of Management. After earning his EMBA from the University of California, Irvine, Rashid pursued a Doctor of Management at the Weatherhead School in 2008, an experience that transformed not only how he thought, but also why he leads.
鈥淓arning my doctorate gave me the creative confidence to break the mold鈥攖o think radically, challenge traditional models and reframe complex problems in entirely new ways,鈥� said Rashid. 鈥淎pplying creativity and design thinking to leadership and strategy completely changed how I see my role as a leader.鈥�
That disruptive mindset鈥攔ooted in radical thinking and bold leadership鈥攊s what drives Rashid鈥檚 approach to healthcare innovation. With over 30 years at the helm of tech and business, he鈥檚 not just playing in the future鈥攈e鈥檚 building it. As founder and CEO of Xavor Corporation and NaviGAIT, Rashid is on a mission to shake up elder care. His focus? Creating AI-powered solutions that do more than monitor鈥� ensure person-centered care, preserve independence, and challenge how we think about aging.
365bet体育在线世界杯 the center of that mission is Ruyi, a sleek, three-foot-tall social robot that鈥檚 currently being put to the test at Case Western Reserve University. Don鈥檛 be fooled by its size鈥攖his is high-tech with heart. Ruyi is packed with AI muscle: it tracks mobility, responds to interaction, synchronizes with smart home systems, and learns as it goes. It鈥檚 not just care鈥攊t鈥檚 connection, delivered in real time, tailored to real lives.
鈥淭he biggest opportunity,鈥� Rashid says, 鈥渋s giving caregivers a tool that helps patients remain at home for as long as possible.鈥�
The one-year pilot study is supported by the National Institutes of Health administered through the AI & Technology Collaboratory (AITC) for Aging Research at Johns Hopkins University. It鈥檚 part of a nationwide push to create next-generation solutions that help older adults stay independent, even as conditions like Alzheimer鈥檚 try to strip that away.
With NaviGAIT鈥檚 collaboration with CWRU and AITC, Rashid isn鈥檛 just proving what鈥檚 possible鈥攈e鈥檚 rewriting the playbook on elder care.
What started at Weatherhead as a bold academic pursuit has exploded into a real-world movement鈥攐ne that fuses research, design thinking, and empathy. And if Rashid has anything to say about it, this is only the beginning.
鈥淭he real opportunity isn鈥檛 just in caring for patients鈥攊t鈥檚 in supporting the people who care for them. If we can give caregivers a reliable, intelligent tool that helps loved ones stay independent at home longer, that鈥檚 a game changer,鈥� he said. 鈥淭his is where AI and robotics really matter鈥攚hen the technology works seamlessly, it becomes a private care companion, not just a machine.鈥�
1.Funds to support the AITCH study are provided by the Johns Hopkins University AITC under award number P30AG073104