Drop: Vital Monitoring Wearable Patch and System
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Date
2023-05
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Publisher
The Ohio State University
Abstract
Hydration is one of the most important factors of everyday and lifelong health. It affects one's body and brain from motor function and bowel movements to mental health and energy levels. When the body is already under the stress of a viral or chronic illness, hydration needs to be at the forefront of treatment to sustain the body. This research work focused on at-home healthcare solutions surrounding the issue of dehydration for sick infants and toddlers. I came to this targeted group during the initial research phase as I worked to identify a vulnerable group at risk for dehydration. I spent 7 weeks conducting primary and secondary research on the topic of at-home care of sick children by interviewing parents, conducting surveys, and reading articles and books on all surrounding and related topics. Through my research I identified a lot of consistencies. One particular observation I made was the amount of stress and anxiety surrounding caring for sick children. Parents have to deal with numerous uncertainties about how to best care for their children. From this point, my goal was to both reduce risk of dehydration but also caretaker's anxieties. The following 7 weeks were dedicated to research based product development. During this execution phase I cycled through many rounds of assessment, ideation, and targeted research. The outcome of the process is a wearable patch allowing for the monitoring of hydration levels and temperature of the sick child. Paired with a digital app and data analysis system, parents can track their child's hydration and health and are provided with actionable tasks to aid their recovery. Final deliverables included the physical prototype, packaging, app framework and prototype, and a final product video.
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Keywords
Design, Healthcare, Hydration, Wearable Technology