Over the last century, assistive technology has made tremendous strides in breaking down barriers and enabling greater independence for individuals navigating diverse challenges. However, many high-tech solutions can be intrusive, unintuitive, and expensive, falling short of truly meeting users' needs. This track invites innovators to reimagine assistive technology, creating solutions that are not only accessible and affordable but also seamlessly integrated into everyday life.

Innovations can empower individuals with disabilities, chronic conditions, or age-related challenges to engage fully with their communities and meet physical, cognitive, or sensory needs. Examples include wearable rehabilitation devices or AI-driven communication aids. By tackling barriers like affordability and accessibility, participants can create technologies that promote inclusion and improve the quality of life for diverse populations.

How might we design user-centered assistive technologies that are affordable, scalable, and inclusive, ensuring everyone has the opportunity to thrive? What innovative approaches can reduce stigma, improve usability, and foster acceptance of assistive devices in everyday life?

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, with cardiovascular deaths rising from 12.1 million in 1990 to 20.5 million in 2021. Conditions like heart attacks, stroke, and hypertension are exacerbated by lifestyle factors, delayed diagnoses, and limited treatment options, highlighting the urgent need for innovative solutions.

Heart health solutions can address needs across prevention, treatment, and recovery. Innovations can span wearable devices for monitoring vital signs, AI-powered diagnostics for early detection, personalized therapeutic tools, and platforms that empower individuals to adopt healthier lifestyles. By focusing on scalable and accessible solutions, participants can address disparities in care and create impactful systems for managing heart conditions.

How might we address factors that exacerbate these conditions? How can we detect cardiac issues earlier and expand the range of effective interventions? The need for innovative, scalable, and accessible solutions has never been more urgent.

Healthcare systems face significant challenges in delivering seamless, efficient, and patient-centered care. Inefficiencies in clinical workflows, gaps in communication, and fragmented processes disrupt the patient journey, leaving patients feeling unsupported and providers overwhelmed. These challenges—ranging from delays in care to breakdowns in coordination across healthcare settings—highlight the need for innovative, intelligent solutions to transform care delivery.

One such transformative force is artificial intelligence, which is revolutionizing healthcare by enabling new ways to diagnose, treat, and care for patients. From diagnosis to recovery, AI-driven tools are reshaping healthcare by optimizing transitions, improving communication, and reducing inefficiencies. Innovations such as predictive analytics, automated workflows, personalized care platforms, AI-enabled telehealth solutions, guided diagnostics, predictive hospital operations, intelligent communication systems, and culturally responsive technologies address key challenges, build resilient systems, and ensure smoother, more supportive patient journeys with streamlined workflows. Examples include NurX, which reimagines access to contraceptives through digital health, and Abridge, which simplifies healthcare conversations with AI-powered clinical notes.
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How can AI be leveraged to create seamless, intelligent healthcare systems that optimize care delivery and support providers? How might AI improve diagnostics, streamline clinical workflows, enrich the patient journey, and foster equity through culturally responsive technologies, leaving both providers and patients feeling empowered and cared for?