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 Beginner Hack” award went to the Pill Daddy team ( Samuel Ray, Spencer Devine, and James Dapogny) for their smart pill dispenser idea.
“We realized that we could use the surplus of modern technology present in homes to enhance our own product. Showing that our focus was not only to create a product that worked and met the design specifications, but how to we create something that maximizes its impact and is the most likely to help our patient,” says James.
Pill Daddy aims to simplify and improve medication management for the elderly by offering a smart pill dispenser with various features, like:
- Dispensing mechanism: Accurately dispenses the required number of pills at designated times. Details like the dispensing mechanism aren’t mentioned, but potential methods could include a rotating carousel or a gravity-fed system.
- Scheduling and reminders: Users set up a medication schedule through an app or interface, and Pill Daddy provides reminders via notifications, speakers, or connected smart devices.
- Potential: The product could also integrate with smart devices like Alexa for voice-controlled reminders or integration with healthcare providers for remote monitoring could be explored.
“Using a shared app, they focused on a design that respected the dignity of all involved, making healthcare a collaborative conversation rather than putting all effort and management on a single party. This solution is integratable into smart homes as part of an IoT device ecosystem, or as part or a more traditional care-in-place approach either for long term patient care, aging-in-place, or other chronic condition care,” says Lauren Linkous – a Ph.D. candidate, mentor at Megahack, and a principal figure in our MDS lab.
Challenges:
- Accuracy: Ensuring accurate and reliable dispensing of the correct medication dosage is crucial.
- Ease of use: The interface and setup should be simple and intuitive for users of all ages and technical abilities.
- Customization: Addressing individual needs for different medication types, schedules, and reminders.
Potential benefits:
- Improved medication adherence: Reduces the risk of missed or incorrect dosages, leading to better health outcomes.
- Increased independence: Enables individuals to manage their medications independently, promoting self-reliance and dignity.
- Peace of mind: Provides reassurance for both users and caregivers regarding medication adherence.
“We have already tweaked things in our design but our concept remains the same. We want to create a reliable pill dispensing system that can ensure a safe system for the patients with easy interfaces and applicable technology. Currently we are in the works to try and receive a PPA (provisional Patent Application),” says James.
Pill Daddy presents an innovative solution for medication management, potentially improving healthcare and quality of life for individuals relying on medication.
If you would like to learn more about Pill Daddy, you can visit the team’s website or read their article on Devpost.
