wearable device that can be programmed to vibrate and light up when it’s time for the user to take a medication.
Chulick liked having the opportunity to work with students outside of his major, which has been a big focus for the IoT Lab, Bradley says. “It gets kind of old being around all the same people,” Chulick says.
His team, dubbed Medcuff, built a functioning, albeit crude, prototype in about two months. They won a $500 prize at the end of that semester for being the project with the most potential impact. Chulick felt excited to build something that could help people, as opposed to completing a class assignment that only gets presented to classmates and a professor, and then “just sits on a shelf.”
Medcuff’s journey after the program, however, has not been easy and illustrates the challenges of student entrepreneurship. The team members incorporated the business and have spoken with local business leaders about next steps for commercializing the technology, aided by the exposure and connections from the IoT Lab. “They definitely gave us a lot of good advice and were able to put us in contact with some people that would be able to help us” move the business forward, Chulick says.
But it’s been slow-going for Medcuff in recent months. Dylan Mack, the retail major and co-founder who first pitched the idea of a medication reminder device, is no longer involved with Medcuff because he’s got a job lined up once he graduates in May, Chulick says.
Meanwhile, Chulick and co-founder Katie Sullivan are exploring ways to repurpose or expand the capabilities of the original Medcuff technology, which wouldn’t be able to stand out in a crowded field of similar devices, Chulick says.
“I’m hoping that maybe some time in the next six months we could have a version two that actually solves a problem, besides something that just won a competition,” he says. “And then we’ll go from there. But we’ll see what happens.”
It’s also been difficult getting in front of people who understand the industry and could serve as resources, such as doctors, Chulick says.
“This is the first time I’ve tried to do anything entrepreneurial,” he says. “You have to go out and talk to people. It’s a much different hat you’re wearing. I’m enjoying it.”
One of the challenges for IoT Lab participants has been the short timeframe they’re given to complete projects. That’s why starting in the fall, the lab will switch to sessions that last a full academic year, rather than just one semester, Bradley says.
Another thing to keep an eye on as the lab matures is intellectual property rights. The students own their ideas, not the lab, Bradley says. As for potential research and development collaborations between students and companies, Bradley believes suitable agreements can be drawn up. “I don’t see it as a barrier, it is something to work through,” she says.
