EMBEDDED DEVICE MONITORS ANXIETY LEVELS IN AUTISTIC PEOPLE

Reveal Could Prevent Anxiety Meltdowns By Alerting Caregivers to Intervene

A wearable device developed by researchers at the University of British Columbia could benefit people with autism by informing their caregivers that an anxiety crisis could be imminent. The device, known as Reveal, measures the wearer’s sweat levels, heart rate and skin temperature in real-time, using embedded sensors. If a heightened level of anxiety is detected, a message is sent to a caregiver’s smartphone informing them of the situation and allowing them time to intervene before the onset of a possible anxiety meltdown.

Andrea Palmer, the project leader received the Global Impact Competition award for the “most innovative proposal” that will most likely have an impact on society in the coming three to five years. According to Ms. Palmer, as many people with autism have heightened levels of sensitivity, the ultimate goal was to design something that would integrate seamlessly into clothing and would be imperceptible when worn. She said, “We want them to be able to wear it without knowing it is there. In the long run we want to be able to present the information to them to help become self-regulating, so they can see when they are starting to get anxious.”