Smart bracelet for elderly

Exploration of touch sensitive OLED

Design Goal

Healthcare’s biggest change and challenge is the population ageing. Elderly are much more likely to suffer mobility health and disability problems thus placing a strain on government finances and health care facilities. Elderly have been staying at home for a longer period in the last decade. A smart bracelet could reduce health care costs by preventing health problems of elderly through improved quality of life and mental wellbeing.

Responsibility

Intern project at VanBerlo

Client

VanBerlo



Functions

A combination of useful properties could make a smart bracelet useful for a variety of elderly with different needs in more situations than a specialist device. Just like a smartphone is not just a phone. In order to keep the bracelet simple enough for elderly to understand only those marked yellow are used. The bracelet is paired with a smartphone to set different functions. The smartphone can show additional information if the meaning of a notification is unclear.

Design language

clean lines | subtle colors | integrated shape | soft inside
Aim: To design a bracelet that elderly, men and women, like to wear everyday. A bracelet that looks more like jewelry than a gadget or an elderly product.

Design language: A bracelet that has subtle colors and curves, that looks simple yet sophisticated.

Sketches




Prototyping

A simple and elegant bracelet as a daily assistant giving elderly some support when needed by sensing fall, low blood pressure, taking medication on time, light up in the dark, notfying appointments or social meetings. With the smartphone the bracelet can be personalized by changing or limiting the functionality. This can be done by the elderly or a care taker.


Technical details

In 5 years thin (0.2mm) and flexbile OLED light is expected to be mass produced with having low prices. This amazing new technology allows using light in products in new ways not possible before. For the the electronic components a Nike fuelband teardown shows some of the needed technical components for a smart bracelet:

Power

Texas Instruments TXB0108ZXY
Power Supply and Device Controller

Texas Instruments TPS78218
Voltage Regulator

Texas Instruments BQ24040
Li-lon Management

2x 36 mAh Li-Po battery

Accelerometer

STMicroelectronics C3H Accelerometer

Bluetooth

By 2020 it is likely to have BLE 4.0 in a VQFN package. Some space could be used for some flash memory.

Heart rate monitor

Pulse sensor