BSafe

Problems BSafe solves is the difficulty and high costs of social distance monitoring. Based on BSafe's WiFi signal strength the device estimates the proximity and notifies user once he gets too close

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Inspiration

We were inspired to built this product by our daily struggles and observations of social distancing and its monitoring by businesses. It is expensive, it is difficult, and it is easy to cheat on. Therefore, we decided to build a piece of hardware to solve this problem.

What it does

BSafe devices create wifi access points. Based on each other's signal strengths they detect, they are able to deduce the proximity of other devices. This creates a network of interconnected devices, which will notify a user once he gets to close to another user.

How we built it

components

The most important component is the ESP8266 board, which is a low-cost Wi-Fi microchip with full micro controller capability. This small module allows microcontrollers to connect to a Wi-Fi network and make simple TCP/IP connection. Additiononaly, it has a built-in OLED screen. The board is powered with a 3.7V LiPo battery and we use a piezo-electric buzzer. We use a Lithium ion polymer battery because this type of battery has a high energy density and these are rechargeable.

how it works

  1. Create a WiFi Access Point
  2. Scan for devices in the proximity
  3. Identify neighbouring modules based on SSID
  4. Measure & process signal strength
  5. Display indication of proximity by progress bar on OLED screen
  6. Buzz if proximity threshold is exceeded

Challenges we ran into

  • ESP8266 board got corrupted while programming with buzzer & battery connected
  • COM connection/communication issues
  • Signal processing and making the progress bar indicative and stable

Accomplishments that we're proud of

The biggest accomplishment is that the product actually works! Moreover, we managed to finish the Hackathon, even though one of the team members was on the other side of the globe, in a totally different time zone. On top of that, we tackled a relatively new market, so the detailed data about the market sizing etc. wasn't available.

What we learned

  • introduction to the ESP8266 module
  • all the WiFi module capabilities
  • usage of a new presentation software, pitch.com

What's next for BSafe

  • Experiments with different signals and techniques to estimate proximity in order to optimize the accuracy
  • Enhance UI
  • Pair up devices in same bubble
  • Collect data to keep track of who had risky contacts with who
  • Add additional features such as: embedded contactless payments, geolocation to locate friends on a festival, calling waiters in restaurants and accessing buildings like schools or offices

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