STEM II
Problem Statement
Older adults often have trouble with medication adherence; they tend to forget to take their medications at the correct time, especially if they have many medications. Additionally, caretakers often do not know if their patients have taken their medications, particularly if they live separately.
Older adults often have trouble with medication adherence; they tend to forget to take their medications at the correct time, especially if they have many medications. Additionally, caretakers often do not know if their patients have taken their medications, particularly if they live separately.
Design Approach
We created a pillbox with 3 rows and 7 columns, with each column representing a day of the week and each row representing a time of day for medication to be taken. In order to sense whether the user had taken their medication or not, we tested multiple sensors and decided to use a magnetic reed switch sensor to detect whether each lid was open or closed. We also tested the amount of time it takes to remove pills from a compartment, and used that to time how long a lid has been opened. Once a lid has been open for a certain amount of time, we assume that the user has taken their medication, and the connected microcontroller sends an HTTPS request to our backend, saying that a certain compartment's pills have been taken.
We created a pillbox with 3 rows and 7 columns, with each column representing a day of the week and each row representing a time of day for medication to be taken. In order to sense whether the user had taken their medication or not, we tested multiple sensors and decided to use a magnetic reed switch sensor to detect whether each lid was open or closed. We also tested the amount of time it takes to remove pills from a compartment, and used that to time how long a lid has been opened. Once a lid has been open for a certain amount of time, we assume that the user has taken their medication, and the connected microcontroller sends an HTTPS request to our backend, saying that a certain compartment's pills have been taken.
Final Prototype
Poster