Excited and Ready!

This week was mainly used for preparing our final presentation for the showcase. When our group originally went about doing our pitch, we found ourselves way over the 5-minute mark, almost close to 10. When looking over the videos we had recorded in class, we struggled to look for topics that were extraneous or unnecessary. Everything seemed important! That's when we went back to the drawing board. Viraj remembered that the first thing we saw in class our first day of lecture was Tal and Rick's categorization and importance charts of a pitch and how to create one. Here was when we saw what we were missing, a story that gave urgency to our problem. We decided to go about a story pitch as this gives an urgency that our product/company solves. This gives our product an emotional aspect to it, as VCs and investors are able to see the type of emotional impact it can have and how that can translate into a number of sales as well. Furthermore, we decided to split up our presentation into sections and condensing each section to the most valuable three points possible. This was extremely important, as it allowed us to filter out any information we may have thought to be useful when in reality it wasn't as useful as we thought. This gave structure and made our presentation a lot more concise, with less filler in it too. Overall, we're still finalizing and touching up presentation skills, hoping to perfect our pitch by a day before the showcase. We think our start-up has a proven value and showing that through our pitch is our highest priority as of now. Excited to present!

Practice Presentation

Here is the link to our presentation minus the slides. It's almost time to present.....so get excited!!!

Group Blog 4

Examining our Patent

This week, after contacting the UC Davis IP department, we were able to receive more detailed information about our wearable technology. As the patent is currently pending, Davis researchers could not provide us with all of the information surrounding the emotional-feedback device. Regardless, they were able to send us material they developed for presentation at the International Textile and Apparel Association conference earlier last year in Vancouver, BC.

Background

Following with the steps recommended by Professors Lavian and Rasmussen, our first step was to analyze the intent and inspiration behind the patent. In a short abstract from the Textiles conference, the researchers from Davis described our current understanding of the issues facing individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and the research they conducted on how wearable devices could help improve their lives. Understanding the necessity of our wearable technology and the process by which it was developed is important for us as we develop our Value Proposition, providing us with a more nuanced understanding of the problem and market the technology was developed for.

As described by Inventors Koo, Rivera, Gaul, and Pan in this paper, the costs associated with ASD are expected to increase to $200 to $400 billion within the next decade. Individuals with ASD often have difficulty gauging both others and their own emotional states, providing a backdrop for the tech in this patent. According to research done by the inventors, 25% of surveyed individuals with ASD (IASD) were currently using Wearable Technology to help with their symptoms, while 40% of parents of children with ASD reported that their children were utilizing Wearable Technology for various uses. However, 100% of parents and 86% of IASD responded saying that they would benefit from a Wearable Technology that may help them increase their emotional awareness in social situations, which they may experience as stressful and embarrassing. 

Upon finishing their initial research, our researchers at Davis found that ASD individuals would prefer Wearable Technology predominantly either in the category of an unobtrusive accessory such as a watch or bracelet, or in the form of a garment like a glove or sock. Among polled inviduals, the most important design factors were flexibility, portability, and accuracy. Additionally, individuals found it most useful to view their data on a smartphone, on device, or on a webpage. Lastly, the preferred cost range was between $100 to $200 (USD), though many parents of ASD individuals mentioned usefulness was a more important factor than cost in their decision to purchase a device.

Technology

In accordance with the research detailed in the previous section, researchers at UC Davis developed a wearable glove that integrates various sensors into the device in order to provide wearers and parents with real time interaction with their emotional responses.

The device measures Galvanic Skin Response, Heart Rate, and Heart Rate Variability in order to draw conclusions about an individual's emotional state. GSR measures skin-resistance due to sweat, a bodily factor influenced by the sympathetic branch of the Automatic Nervous System. The technology places these sensors at the fingertips of the glove, sensing the three variables by taking measurements at their placed location. Data from all the sensors is sent to a Microcontroller that may broadcast the data to an iOS mobile application built to receive sensor data. 

Summary

This information about our patent is immensely beneficial for our project moving forward. Research down by the inventors helps us factor in form factors for our own product, while providing ball-park numbers for how much consumers may be willing to pay. Furthermore, details about the technology itself are quite helpful for us as we solidify a business plan. The Conference briefs provided to us reveal that the technology's sensor array can be used to gauge any individual's emotions, allowing us to continue considering a business application in the Content Feedback realm or for the general population.