Gluco Buddy

The Amazon Echo

Inspiration

I am a 14-yr old Type 1 diabetic and I wanted to build an Alexa skill that can help me manage my blood sugar levels

What it does

Gluco Buddy currently provides a daily and weekly summary of my blood glucose levels. It helps me track my supplies like glucose test strips and needles and orders these from Amazon when they are running low

How I built it

I integrated the Dexcom API with Alexa using the Alexa SDK. My JavaScript code runs on AWS Lambda and talks to Dexcom API over HTTPs. I use OAuth2 for authenticating the user

Challenges I ran into

I had to learn JavaScript and understand how to build an Alexa skill. My dad helped me with the setup and coached me

Accomplishments that I'm proud of

I was able to build an Alexa skill in the summer that will really help me and other kids with Type 1 diabetes

What I learned

Never give up. Coding is hard and sometimes frustrating but the end product is very satisfying. Start simple and build upon the skill gradually.

What's next for Gluco Buddy

Order Diabetes Supplies directly from the skill. Contact the doctor or pharmacy. Gamification of the skill which will allow users in the same age group to compete for the best average blood sugar.