A prototype design of the BodySync smartwatch from the team’s demo presentation.
MegaHack is a 24-hour hackathon held at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU). It is a sprint of intense innovation and problem-solving for developers and makers to meet challenges. This year, as a proud sponsor, CCI CVN set the challenge in categories based on our research areas of focus — Smart Health and Smart Cities themes attracted numerous student teams, who also received ongoing support from the Node’s mentors throughout the event.
The “Best Smart Health Hack” award went to the BodySync team (Arya Nalavade, Fatima Shaikh,Thrishaa Jayaprakash, and Rudav Kathiravan) for their wearable device project — a smart band deriving health markers from sweat samples and other data.
“We wanted to target continuous healthcare, as that is something that is lacking in our current healthcare system. In today’s healthcare landscape, many individuals only seek medical attention when symptoms arise, often leading to interventions when conditions have progressed. At BodySync, we’re committed to reshaping this paradigm by championing preventive healthcare,” explained the team.
The team receiving their “Best Smart Health” trophies at Megahack’s closing ceremony,
after having worked on BodySync for 24 hours.
How does BodySync work?
The band uses sweat analysis, suggesting that the watch may contain sensors that can detect and analyze sweat composition along with tracking other data through pedometer, motion tracking, pulse oximeter, and ECG, to compile and suggest personalized health care recommendations.
“By meticulously analyzing electrolytes, hormones, and vital signs, BodySync empowers users to take proactive control of their well-being. Harnessing the power of your own sweat, BodySync puts you firmly in the driver’s seat of your health journey,” says the team.
Beyond hydration and nutrition: While BodySync analyzes electrolytes and metabolites for insights into hydration and nutrition, its potential goes further. These biomarkers can reveal a range of health information, including:
- Muscle fatigue and recovery: Specific metabolites like lactate can indicate muscle stress and recovery status, aiding athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
- Stress and cortisol levels: Certain hormone metabolites present in sweat might reflect stress levels, potentially aiding stress management.
- Early detection of health conditions: Some metabolic changes in sweat may hold promise for early detection of conditions like diabetes or kidney disease, though further research is needed.
Challenges and solutions: The team’s hardware issues with sweat analysis highlight a common challenge in this field – developing reliable and accurate sensors for sweat composition detection. However, their development of an app wireframe showcases their progress in visualizing and presenting the collected health data effectively.
“In a market constantly trying to push what we can learn from wearable, portable technology, this was an interesting take on how to get as much information possible from a little bit of data, and even less intrusion on the user’s routine,” says Lauren Linkous – a Ph.D. candidate, mentor at Megahack, and a principal figure in our MDS lab.
Beyond smartwatches: While presented as a smartwatch, BodySync’s technology could potentially be integrated into other existing wearables like fitness trackers or even clothing, expanding its reach and accessibility.
“Currently, we’re in the research phase and eagerly seeking collaboration with medical professionals and expert engineers specializing in device design to propel BodySync to new heights,” hopes the team.
If you would like to learn more about BodySync, you can visit the team’s website or read their article on Devpost.
