Winston Yang, despite a successful career that included a degree from Columbia University and work at Deutsche Bank and Deloitte, was concerned about a non-financial problem. He observed a recurring pattern of injuries in athletes at all levels—from school to professional. He realized that injuries rarely happen suddenly but often develop unnoticed, such as when a shoulder starts compensating for load long before it is noticed.
Yang noted that technologies for early detection of such problems already existed, but they were only accessible in expensive laboratories, unavailable to most people. This prompted him to leave a good career and, in 2017, found IdeasLab Inc in New York with the goal of providing any coach access to analysis that usually costs a huge amount of money in elite sports labs.
The solution developed by Yang is called XView AI. This system can analyze the biomechanics of a moving human body in real time using only video from a smartphone camera. It does not require sensors, limb markers, internet connection, or a specialized laboratory. By pointing the phone at an athlete during movement, XView AI maps joint mechanics, tracks rotational speed, and indicates areas of increased stress that could lead to injuries if not corrected.
The first tests of XView AI were conducted with KJ Choi, a nine-time PGA Tour champion. His son recorded a video of his father's swing and ran it through the application. The artificial intelligence detected an early error in extension and a curvature issue in Choi that he himself had not noticed. After correction, he became the oldest Asian golfer to win a tournament, and later became the first external investor in IdeasLab Inc. Choi stated that he considers XView AI the future of golf.
Later, Yang applied this technology on a larger scale. In 2025, Taiwan Excellence, a certification mark of the Taiwanese government, launched the global competition 'Go Healthy with Taiwan'. This competition invited health and wellness innovators from around the world to present ideas based on Taiwanese technologies, with a prize fund of $30,000 USD for the winners.
For his proposal, Yang adapted XView AI for baseball, a sport where repeated pitching leads to wear and tear on shoulders and elbows. The Smartedge Baseball system combines XView AI software with Taiwanese smart clothing and sensor technology, adding the hardware level necessary to scale the project affordably.
IdeasLab Inc had been building relationships with Taiwan since 2021, collaborating with the National University of Sport of Taiwan. The choice of baseball for the presentation was intentional, as this sport is part of Taiwan's cultural fabric. In December 2025, a Grand Final was held in Taipei, featuring six finalists from 55 countries. IdeasLab Inc became one of the three winners, receiving $30,000 each.
Despite success in the sports field, two other winners of the 2025 competition worked in completely different fields. The Ukrainian organization 'Charitable Foundation
Researchers from the Center for Global Development and Communication at Tsinghua University are discussing new strategies for China's involvement in global health assistance. The White Paper of the State Council of China on global governance emphasizes the need to hear the voices of the Global South and provide more public goods to the international community.
Analysts link this delay to the cessation of USAID funding by the US government in March 2025, which led to a sharp reduction in healthcare aid projects worth about $12.7 billion. Instead of trying to replace departing Western donors, recent Chinese activity is viewed as an effort to assume a role commensurate with its own capabilities within a more distributed system. For example, in Laos, China's cooperation includes programs for pediatric cardiology and schistosomiasis control.
