Hypno: Safeguarding Sleep for Babies with Smart Wearable Technology
Harvard MDE, 2018-2019
Team member: Togo Kida, Muhammad Hanif Wicaksono
#Wearable #MedicalDevice #ConsumerProduct #Research #SensorAugmentation #ConceptDrawing #PhysicalPrototyping
Tools: Processing, Arduino, Photoshop, Lasercut, FDM Printing
A Simple, Affordable Solution for Infant Sleep Safety
Each year in the United States, approximately 3,500 infants tragically lose their lives due to sleep-related accidents, including Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS), suffocation, and unsafe sleep positions. Given that infants sleep for more than 12 hours a day, ensuring their safety during sleep is a critical challenge for parents and caregivers.
While existing pulse oximeter-based solutions track oxygen levels to detect distress, they often come with high costs and concerns over accuracy and reliability. Our team at Harvard MDE (2018-2019)—Togo Kida, Muhammad Hanif Wicaksono, and I—developed Hypno, a cost-effective, sensor-embedded wearable designed to provide real-time monitoring of an infant’s breathing and sleep posture, notifying parents instantly in case of potential danger.
The Problem: Sleep-Related Infant Deaths & Monitoring Gaps
Many high-tech monitoring solutions exist, but they often fall short in one of three ways:
💰 Cost-Prohibitive – Many infant monitoring products rely on expensive medical-grade sensors, making them inaccessible for many families.
📏 Limited Detection Methods – Existing systems primarily track oxygen levels, but do not actively monitor sleep position or movement patterns, which are key risk factors.
❓ Effectiveness Concerns – Research has raised questions about the accuracy of some oximeter-based products, leading to false alarms or unreliable readings.
To address these limitations, our team sought a simpler, yet highly effective solution—one that directly tracks movement and posture without requiring complex or invasive technology.
The Hypno Solution: Tracking Sleep Through Movement & Posture
Hypno is a wearable sleep-monitoring system designed as an affordable and intuitive alternative to conventional baby monitors. Instead of relying on oxygen level detection, Hypno monitors breathing patterns and body posture, key indicators of sleep-related distress.
How It Works
✅ Detects Breathing Movements – Hypno uses a flex sensor placed around the infant’s abdomen, where breathing movements are most detectable.
✅ Monitors Sleep Position – An accelerometer tracks the baby’s posture, detecting if the infant has been face-down for an extended period, a major risk factor for suffocation.
✅ Instant Alerts for Parents – If an irregularity is detected, Hypno sends an alert to a connected smartphone via Bluetooth, allowing parents to intervene immediately.
✅ Seamless Wearable Design – Unlike bulky monitors, Hypno is designed as a soft, sensor-integrated fabric that can be worn like clothing, ensuring comfort for the baby.
From Prototype to Wearable Smart Suit
The initial prototype was developed as a belt-like device, featuring:
🔹 Flex Sensor – Detects subtle movements related to breathing patterns.
🔹 Accelerometer – Tracks body position changes to detect unsafe sleeping postures.
🔹 Arduino Control Module – Processes data and transmits alerts to parents’ smartphones via Bluetooth.
🔹 Demo Mobile App – Displays real-time movement data and triggers emergency notifications when needed.
After successfully testing the core monitoring functions, we explored advanced material integrations to transition Hypno into a wearable suit.
Expanding the Concept: The Smart Sleep Suit
To enhance functionality and comfort, the team experimented with new sensor-embedded textiles, including:
🔹 Stretchy Variable Resistance Sensor Fabric – Enables full-body movement tracking while maintaining breathability.
🔹 Conductive Hook & Loop Tape – Offers adjustable, secure fastening while integrating conductivity for seamless data transfer.
🔹 Knit Conductive Fabric – Allows for flexible and soft sensor placement, making the suit wearable like everyday baby clothes.
By embedding biometric sensors into soft, flexible fabric, Hypno evolves from a belt prototype into a full-body sleep suit, capable of collecting comprehensive movement data for long-term infant development insights.
Why Hypno Stands Out
🔹 Affordable & Accessible – Unlike high-cost pulse oximeters, Hypno uses low-cost sensors to make infant sleep monitoring accessible to more families.
🔹 Non-Invasive & Comfortable – Designed as wearable smart clothing, eliminating cumbersome wires, patches, or clip-on devices.
🔹 More Than Just an Alarm – Provides valuable long-term movement and biometric data, offering insights into an infant’s sleep patterns and development.
🔹 Seamless Parental Integration – Works with a mobile app, allowing parents to receive real-time alerts and track sleep trends over time.
Final Thoughts: Innovating Infant Sleep Safety
Infant sleep safety requires practical, affordable, and effective solutions. With Hypno, our goal was to create a wearable monitoring system that seamlessly integrates into a baby’s sleep routine, without adding financial burden or unnecessary complexity for parents.
By combining movement tracking, biometric sensing, and smart textiles, Hypno offers a new way to safeguard infant sleep—making safety as effortless as putting on a onesie.
🍼 How can wearable technology continue to improve early childhood care?