Project number
25049
Organization
ACABI, supported by Craig M. Berge Dean's Fund
Offering
ENGR498-F2024-S2025
Dehydration and other heat-related health risks are a major concern in Arizona. In this community and population project, the AZ Heat Medicine team created a surveillance system that combines a drone, a point-of-care test, and a software platform to monitor, address and potentially treat dehydration.
The system uses visual cues, regional temperature data and historical hydration results to assist a drone operator in locating individuals in the community that are at risk of heat-related injury. Once the operator has identified an at-risk individual, they can assess the individual for dehydration. This point-of-care test employs a conductivity sensor to analyze a provided urine or saliva sample for hydration levels. Depending on the assessment, the operator can also dispatch fluids for rehydration via a small deployable parachute system. A software platform allows for the communication between the drone and operator. It also tracks community hydration trends and securely stores the collected data for further analysis.
By merging these advanced subsystems, the team has created a data-driven solution that promptly assesses and responds to dehydration. This will ultimately help mitigate heat-related health risks, enhance community well-being, and potentially reduce mortality and morbidity for thousands of people in Arizona.
The system uses visual cues, regional temperature data and historical hydration results to assist a drone operator in locating individuals in the community that are at risk of heat-related injury. Once the operator has identified an at-risk individual, they can assess the individual for dehydration. This point-of-care test employs a conductivity sensor to analyze a provided urine or saliva sample for hydration levels. Depending on the assessment, the operator can also dispatch fluids for rehydration via a small deployable parachute system. A software platform allows for the communication between the drone and operator. It also tracks community hydration trends and securely stores the collected data for further analysis.
By merging these advanced subsystems, the team has created a data-driven solution that promptly assesses and responds to dehydration. This will ultimately help mitigate heat-related health risks, enhance community well-being, and potentially reduce mortality and morbidity for thousands of people in Arizona.