Li-Chang Kuo’s Caring Technology

Written by Peter Li-Chang Kuo

“Caring Technology” was one of the five major industries we advocated for in the 1980s as part of our Socially Responsible Investment (SRI) initiatives. The aim was to help the elderly live healthily, happily, and with dignity, their faces glowing with smiles like the sun—thus the term “Caring Technology.”

According to Taiwan's National Development Council, in 1985, the population aged 65 and over was approximately 428,335, out of a total population of around 19,000,000—about “2.25%.” As of March 2025, Taiwan’s elderly population has grown to 4,539,904, accounting for “19.42%” of the total—an alarming contrast.

The World Health Organization defines a society with 14% of its population aged 65 and over as an “aged society,” and 20% as a “super-aged society.” Taiwan became an aged society in 2018 and is expected to enter a super-aged society this year (2025).

Taiwan’s aging population is increasing at a rapid pace—taking only seven years to transition from an aged society to a super-aged one. This presents major challenges for social welfare, medical care, and labor structures.

Humans are upright vertebrates. Our feet bear the entire body’s weight throughout the day, while everyday burdens disrupt the natural flow of energy and blood—thus the saying: “When a person ages, their feet fail first.” Some even disrespectfully refer to elders as “useless old fail.”

In 1982, I suffered a coup that stripped me of many things —including an unborn child— and left me penniless after their violence. I left Tainan, first working at a toy company in Kaohsiung to earn travel money, and eventually arrived in Taipei. By sheer coincidence, I spent ten seconds fixing a serious flaw in a “Barbie doll’s leg armature” and earned 20 million dollars in IP (design fees)—life became easy and enjoyable.

Every day, I would run 5,000 meters at the school playground across the street, do stunts on the parallel bars, followed by dozens of "small wheel exercises" on the horizontal bar. One day, after sitting down, I had a sudden inspiration: I drew an electronic circuit that converted sine waves into "sawtooth waves," which powered a transformer connected to conductive rubber pads applied to joints and wrists. When electrified, they stimulated the muscles — thus creating an electronic massager, which I named “MASU” (short for Massage Unit).

I built it the size of three stacked books, producing 200 units at a time, which became Master Kuo’s signature gift—sent to America, Japan, China, Europe, and India. Today, in physical rehabilitation clinics, the “MASU” has become a standard first-line therapy tool for treating neck stiffness and joint adhesions.

I asked myself: “How many contributions have I made to the world that I’ve already forgotten?”

Photo: MASU Electronic Massager/Acupuncture Device

Main Components of MASU:

1) 555 Timer IC ×1

2) Small Inductor (100μH to 1mH range)

3) Fast Diode (e.g., 1N4148)

4) Storage Capacitor (around 10μF to 100μF)

5) Variable Resistor VR (10kΩ or 50kΩ)

6) Switch, AV Conectors

7) 9V Battery Clip and DC connector

8) Outer Casing (approx. 5 × 16 × 23 cm)

9) Designed Mini Transformer for higher voltage output

After intense workouts, using the MASU for electrotherapy left me energized and full of vitality. Besides bringing Barbie dolls back to life, I also taught classes in Taipei on the management of precision industries—earning the reputation of a “Master.”

Due to Taiwan’s humid island climate, it’s estimated that one in two elderly people (up to 50%) suffers from foot, ankle, or knee problems. Elderly people are prone to osteoporosis. When adjusting "meridians, blood flow, and internal organs" through massage, the strength must be precisely measured to avoid adverse effects that cause more harm than benefit.

As upright creatures, humans rely on their feet for support. Thus, foot health is fundamental to overall well-being in an aging society. I once wrote an entire book "On Meridian Theory," and together with the MASU I gifted, students could take care of their own joints and ankles at home.

In communities, we often see foreign caregivers pushing elders in wheelchairs—proving that “when a person ages, their feet fail first” is no exaggeration. In my SRI publication on "Caring Technology," I emphasized foot care, starting with diet and weight control, and maintaining daily physical activity.

Overweight individuals increase the burden on their feet—a major concern for the elderly. It is said that each kilogram of body weight consumes about 30 kcal per day just to maintain basic metabolism such as heartbeat and breathing. Therefore, a proper diet that provides essential nutrients is crucial. The medical community has confirmed that: “1,000 kcal per day is key for weight loss.”

Diet control must be combined with appropriate exercise to be effective. When overweight, one must not only manage food intake but also exercise to lose fat — though never in a starved state, which harms health. WHO guidelines for elderly nutrition include:

1) Moderate calorie intake

2) Fat under 15% (oils: corn, sesame, peanut)

3) Protein at 15%

4) Zinc (micronutrient that boosts immunity, metabolism—found in beef, peanuts, brown rice, seafood)

5) Fiber (at least 16–24g)

6) Salt (<6g)

7) Cholesterol (<300g)

Exercise not only burns calories but also increases muscle mass, boosting metabolism. More muscle means a higher basal metabolic rate. Elderly individuals, due to muscle loss, often see a decline in metabolism. Without adjusting diet accordingly, they are prone to gain weight, which burdens "feet, joints, spine, cardiovascular system, organs, and brain." Therefore, MASU is especially beneficial for elderly at-home care.

When an elderly person already has foot problems, they can no longer benefit from exercise. I’ve witnessed the power of acupuncture—once, a needle inserted into the cervical spine paralyzed a man instantly. That inspired me to urgently develop the MASU—a kind of electronic acupuncture device, without needles to invade the body, using “sawtooth wave” stimulation via conductive rubber pads to activate joints.

After leaving Tainan, I traveled and taught, opening the way for Taiwan’s future. Yet, deceitful individuals exploited family ties to trap me. They even designed targeted schemes around my love for intense exercise. One such plot (scheme) landed me in “Taipei Medical College Hospital” just before the Mid-Autumn Festival in 1984.

One morning during hospitalization, a nurse woke me to swallow a “one-inch-long black test pill.” I immediately felt like my body was being stung by ten thousand ants, my consciousness floating to the ceiling. I almost died.

Though saved, I was into the hospital by walking, but was carried out. A 10-meter walk now took me ten minutes—and I began a “difficult rehabilitation journey.” Later, I searched the hospital, but that nurse was never found.

During rehab, I delved into anatomy books about "organs, blood vessels, spine, meridians, and acupuncture points." I discovered the human body has over 100 billion blood vessels. Scientists estimate that if laid end to end, the total blood vessel length of an adult would reach 96,000 km—two and a half times the Earth's circumference (40,000 km).

Life depends on breathing and blood circulation. The heart pumps blood through large, medium, and small arteries into capillaries, then returns via veins to the heart. A full circulation takes only 20 seconds. That means 180 cycles per hour, 1,576,800 per year, and over "126 million cycles" in an 80-year lifespan.

Scientifically, the human body consists of:

1) Water (60%)

2) Carbon (18%)

3) Nitrogen (3%)

4) Calcium (1.5%)

5) Phosphorus (1%), plus trace minerals like iron, copper, zinc, boron, and silicon.

These elements may seem worthless individually, but when assembled into a living being, they are priceless.

I reviewed the “Universal Drug Manual” and found that every drug has side effects. No wonder my condition worsened with medication. I immediately threw away all pharmaceuticals—both western and traditional — and did a reset. All medications were discarded, despite the doctors warning me never to stop taking them for a year.

I started with plain water, gave up supplements, and ate only bland mantou (steamed buns). I lived on two teaspoons of royal jelly daily. Later, I added Atractylodes (Bai Zhu) from the "Compendium of Materia Medica" to strengthen my stomach.

After using the MASU for physical therapy, I reduced the time to walk 10 meters from 10 minutes to 1 minute, and eventually to 10 seconds. I then developed a larger version called the "Puluo Machine" — a blood circulation device using purely physical methods to circulate blood, activate meridians, and strengthen muscles and joints.

I once again full of energy to travel around, promoting a better future for the next generation, personally funding “Science & the Future” seminars, and presenting my ideas for rebuilding the global economy at APEC CEO Summit.

Conclusion

From personal rehabilitation experience, I found that as long as one can breathe fresh air and avoid overexertion, even a simple breakfast of one unsweetened bun, a modest lunchbox, and a bowl of noodles for dinner is enough to live well.

The Creator endowed the human body with self-healing power. As long as the immune system is intact and blood flows freely, one can remain healthy. But with aging, that self-healing weakens. Environmental pollution, climate extremes, and social challenges further harm our bodies.

When the body is too weak to circulate blood on its own, exercise becomes impossible. Seeing my own contributions to “Caring Technology” still in use in rehab clinics today, I believe that if I ever have the time, I would love to restore the “MASU” and “Puluo Machine” for public benefit — they could greatly help our aging population.

“Donateto the NDART”

Peter Li-Chang Kuo, the author created Taiwan's Precision Industry in his early years. Peter was a representative of the APEC CEO Summit and an expert in the third sector. He advocated "anti-corruption (AC)/cashless/e-commerce (E-Com)/ICT/IPR/IIA-TES / Micro-Business (MB)…and etc." to win the international bills and regulations.