SBIR Phase I: Hydration monitoring in athletes

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project introduces a paradigm shift from reaction-based methods to a proactive-based approach to predict the onset of exertional heat illness, which results when the human body fails to maintain core temperature within a narrow range (33.2℃-38.2℃). Vulnerable populations include agricultural workers, construction workers, and military personnel, as well as youth athletes. The proposed project will develop a novel low-cost wearable hydration sensor, coupled with predictive analytics, to monitor changes in a youth athlete’s hydration state. This will mitigate youth injuries, reduce medical costs, and minimize the risk of long-term health conditions. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop an integrated hardware-software system to address human hydration in real time. This project will integrate a wearable sensor with cloud-based analytics and prediction. The project objectives are to develop core sensing and algorithm modules, including: 1) exploring signal processing methodologies for signal extraction; 2) development of a framework for learning and predicting temporal patterns in hydration data; 3) experimental determination of typical operating conditions of a wearable sensor. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.