HydroBand

Team Name: 
ROBOLUTION
Team Number: 
3096
Team Description: 
We are ROBOLUTION, an ambitious group of fourth graders from Carlsbad, CA, determined to help improve the lives of seniors and to create a continued awareness about STEM, FLL, and the problem of dehydration in the elderly. Our motto, “building robots…building people” summarizes who we are as a team. While we have fun building and programming robots, we strive to seek solutions to real-world issues and to serve as an example to the community by demonstrating the FLL Core Values. We have grown in technical knowledge, scientific research skills and public relations. Grateful for our FLL experience, we were fortunate to talk to experts to learn about current hydration monitors and biosensors, to receive the FLL Champion’s Award at an FLL Qualifying Tournament and the Research Award at the LEGOLAND Championship Tournament, and to participate in numerous outreach events like the California STEM Summit, where we met Kareem Abdul Jabbar, renown basketball star and CA STEM Ambassador.
Category: 
Independent
Brief Submission Description: 
The patent-pending HydroBand is a user-friendly hydration monitor that reminds seniors to drink water. Worn as a wristband, HydroBand uses a transdermal sodium-sensing patch, made of flexible electronics, to painlessly and continuously measure interstitial sodium (electrolyte) levels and send the information wirelessly to the wristband display. Based on the detected sodium levels, the display will gently alert seniors to drink water before hydration levels become dangerously low through a color indicator (green, yellow, red), text, a water droplet visual, and/or vibration. Because the sense of thirst is diminished or lost as seniors age, they cannot rely on their perceived lack of thirst as a signal to drink and remain hydrated. Wearing the HydroBand to maintain hydration homeostasis and as a fluid intake reminder will help the elderly preserve their sense of independence, compensate for the decreased sense of thirst, and reduce their risk of dehydration and its serious consequences.
Team Website
http://fllteamrobolution.wordpress.com/