Smart Brace

Hardware - Arduino Nano 33 IoT
Mobile Dashboard - React Native

Inspiration

The team has exposure to senior family members, whom are currently battling against mild Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Current medical prevention methods involve extended use of a splint, forcing statuary positions. We decided to find a less assertive solution on the principle of raising awareness while retaining the freedom of movement.

What it does

The Smart Brace is a medical aid device used to serve as both a preventative and corrective measure for Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. Preventative, for users who have exhibited initial symptoms, however, have not been diagnosed with the syndrome. Corrective, for those who have been diagnosed and are working towards a more ergonomic wrist posture.

How I built it

The sensor measurements are collected and computed by an Arduino Nano 33 IoT (gyroscope, accelerometer, vibration motor). The calculated values are streamed to the Firebase Realtime Database from where the React-Native mobile application renders the data in meaningful visualizations for the user.

Challenges I ran into

The two primary challenges our team faced were streaming serial data from the Arduino to Firebase, and working with React-Native due to the lack of experience with the framework.

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

Overcoming obstacles, learning new technologies, and finishing a project with a high degree of accuracy.

What I learned

Technologies learned: Firebase, Firebase-Arduino communication, React-Native, Github Research: Carpal Tunnel syndrome due to the effect of various wrist angles.

What's next for Smart Brace

We are aiming to make the Smart Brace more user friendly by converting the proof of concept to operate with smart wearable technology. Furthermore, we hope to increase the accuracy of our research, add more visualizations, and offer a better UX by improving the mobile application.