Dr Fu Hong’s team develops an AI-powered smart vest to enhance focus and classroom behaviour in children with ADHD

While many tools exist for monitoring Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), effective solutions for improving ADHD-related behaviour remain limited. In response, a research team led by Dr Fu Hong, Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics and Information Technology (MIT), has developed the world’s first AI-powered smart vest designed to enhance focus and classroom conduct in children with ADHD. By integrating an AI algorithm with wearable sensing technology, the vest can reduce hyperactive movements by up to 54%, leading to marked improvements in attention and classroom performance.

Co-developed by Dr Fu’s team and the Hong Kong Research Institute of Textiles and Apparel Limited (HKRITA), the smart vest has already gained significant recognition. The joint project, Smart Vest for Improving Behavioral Performance of School-aged Children with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), received a Bronze Medal at the 2025 Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions, held from 9 to 13 April 2025. The innovation has also drawn encouraging feedback from parents and teachers and secured funding from the Innovation and Technology Commission’s Innovation and Technology Fund.

ADHD is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders worldwide, attracting research interest across multiple disciplines. In the now-completed first phase of the joint knowledge-transfer project, Dr Fu’s team, comprising experts in educational psychology, health and exercise science, neuropsychology, and clinical science, categorised common classroom behaviours and identified those considered hyperactive. Volunteers then simulated these behaviours to generate nearly 150,000 behavioural samples. These were used to train the AI model through big data analysis, continually improving its accuracy in detecting irregular behaviour.

“The smart vest is equipped with two six-axis inertial measurement units (IMUs), placed on the shoulder and back, to collect data on trunk and core muscle activity. When hyperactive behaviour is detected, the vest delivers gentle vibration prompts, enabling students to self-regulate without teacher intervention, thereby reducing negative labelling,” Dr Fu explained at the Results Sharing Session on 15 December 2025. Made from soft, breathable fabric and designed to resemble a regular garment, the vest allows children to wear it comfortably for extended periods without drawing unwanted attention.

Dr Fu added, “It is normal for children to be inattentive or active from time to time, but this does not necessarily indicate ADHD. The ability to accurately identify behaviours defined as ‘hyperactive’ by clinical psychologists and therapists, and to intervene early, is crucial for improving classroom performance.” She noted that the team will work with more schools to further enhance detection accuracy while exploring additional functions, such as eye-movement tracking or alertness monitoring, to support children who struggle with attention but may not show overt hyperactivity.

Professor Daniel Chow Hung-kay, a member of the research team and Chair Professor of Health and Sports Science in the Department of Health and Physical Education (HPE), remarked, “The breakthrough of this smart vest lies in its ability to integrate multiple sensor data streams with AI models to distinguish between acceptable activity and hyperactive behaviour. It can automatically trigger vibration prompts at the right moment without excessive alerts, which places very high demands on algorithm design and training.” He emphasised that the innovation effectively combines wearable technology with behaviour-management theory, offering schools a non-intrusive, easy-to-use tool.

More than 40 children aged 7 to 12 from over ten primary schools participated in product testing, which evaluated the vest’s effectiveness in behaviour classification and vibration intervention. Results showed that hyperactive movements decreased by up to 54% following vibration prompts, sitting posture became more stable, and indicators such as attention and rule-following improved by around 10–15%. These findings demonstrate that the smart vest delivers tangible and significant improvements in classroom performance.

Beyond real-time intervention, the vest is connected to a behavioural data analysis platform that visualises students’ activity levels and behaviour patterns across lessons. Teachers and parents can track these trends over time, using objective data to support psychological assessments and school-based services. This enables more personalised teaching arrangements and behaviour-intervention plans, while also providing quantitative evidence to evaluate the effectiveness of support measures.

Globally, approximately 7.6% of children aged 3 to 12 are affected by ADHD. In Hong Kong, medical and academic experts estimate that about 6.4% of children and adolescents live with the condition. This means tens of thousands of students face daily challenges in attention and behavioural regulation, with significant consequences for learning and peer relationships.

Team member Dr Tong Xiuhong, Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology, noted from an educational-psychology perspective that the smart vest provides consistent and positive behavioural feedback while reducing negative attention. It enables children with ADHD to learn in a more relaxed atmosphere and integrate more easily into mainstream classrooms. “These subtle and continuous prompts help students gradually build self-monitoring and self-regulation skills, complementing existing psychological or pharmacological treatments,” she said.

Registered occupational therapist Mr Michael Wong observed that although multiple treatment and intervention approaches for ADHD exist, tools that offer real-time behavioural feedback specifically for classroom settings remain rare. “The smart vest translates clinical expertise in movement and sensory regulation into a practical solution that teachers can apply directly in the classroom, filling a critical gap in current support,” he said.

Neuropsychologist Dr Claudio Wong from Boston University added that preliminary data indicate the vest demonstrates strong sensitivity and accuracy in behaviour detection, laying the groundwork for future research into its long-term effects on cognitive performance and neural mechanisms. The next step for the research team is to invite more public institutions and schools to join larger-scale, longer-term pilot programmes to test its effectiveness across different subjects and learning contexts, further validating its feasibility in real classroom environments.

The research team led by Dr Fu includes EdUHK scholars Professor Daniel Chow Hung-kay from the Department of Health and Physical Education, Tong Xiuhong from the Department of Psychology and Professor Leung Chi-hung from the Department of Special Education and Counselling. Also in the team are Dr Eve Zhang Walei from Hong Chi Morninglight School, Yuen Long, Professor Xu Bingang from the Hong Kong Polytechnic University and Dr Li Bin from Xi’an Jiaotong University.