There is over 4500 home invasions per day in America according to the FBI. There is currently many products designed to help identify the problem such as security systems but there is few products designed to stop it entirely.
You are 37 times more likely to die in a motorcycle accident then car accident. There is currently no products on the market, other than safety gear such as helmets, that are effective at saving motorcyclists lives during these accidents.
It would be very useful for musicians to have a device or program that would translate midi outputs to keystrokes. In music production software there are key shortcuts but they are unable to be used through a midi as it does not output keystrokes. There is currently software to fix this problem but it is extremely slow and very overpriced and outdated.
T.V remote batteries often die and cause the remote to be unusable until they are replaced. While this isn't a very urgent issue, it is one that could be easily fixed. There is currently no product on the market to fix this issue.
When cooking with oil or fatty meats, the oil will pop and splash back burning whoever is cooking and over the stove. There are splatter screens made to stop the oil from splattering out of the pan, but it is impossible to flip it while using this.
Knives are sometimes not ergonomic and can be confusing to hold. This is dangerous for people who do not know proper knife etiquette and can lead to them hurting themselves. There are many solutions already available to the public that solve this problem.
People can slip when chopping with a dull knife and end up harming themselves.
Teachers having trouble organizing
Braille books and documents are hard to come by and can present problems to those who are blind as they have limited ways to engage with media. There is already a braille E-reader that has been created but it isn't widely used.
65 million people around the world suffer from epilepsy can can damage their nervous system and brain during seizures. As of now there are only devices to detect when someone is having a seizure.
much of the energy used in cooking is lost or unused as not all of the heat is transferred from the pan and into the food. Gas stoves can be as little as 40% efficient.
Decision Matrix
higher scores are more valued than lower scores
Justification
Source
Holland, K. (2019, May 14). Epilepsy: Facts, Statistics, and You. Retrieved from http://www.healthline.com/health/epilepsy/facts-statistics-infographic#2
summary
150000 Americans are diagnosed with a seizure causing disease annually. 30% of people with epilepsy suffers from grand mal seizures. There are five types of seizures, tonic, clonic, myclonic, aclonic and tonic-clonic/grand mal. Tonic seizures cause a stiffening of the body, while clonic causes repeated jerking movements. Myclonic causes jerking and twitching movements and aclonic causes muscle decay and falls. Grand mal seizures are a combination of all these. This source recognizes our problem of head injuries during seizures.
critique
The healthline is a trusted source and is reliable as it cites its sources. It also touches on how falls during seizures can cause serious injury.
source
Epilepsy. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/epilepsy
summary
The risk of death for people who experience seizures are three times higher than the general population. Up to 80% of people with epilepsy live in lower income countries. 25% of epilepsy cases are treatable and preventable.
critique
The World Health Organization is a trusted source by many nations across the world. The who recognizes our problem and states that people with epilepsy are more likely to experience a severe head injury.
source
MD, J. I. S. (2013, July 28). Falls During Seizures. Retrieved from https://www.epilepsy.com/learn/age-groups/seniors-and-epilepsy/falls-during-seizures
summary
Anti seizure medication can lead to balance issues and injuries from falls. Falls are one of the biggest predictors of being admitted to a nursing home in older adult life. Anti seizure medication can also negatively effect bone health and even lead to bone decay.
critique
The epilepsy foundation is a trusted organization based around the prevention and treatment of seizures. The Epilepsy foundation recognizes that falls can have major consequences.
Market Survey
1. Are you knowledgeable of the effects of seizures?
3. Would you be interested in a product that protects people during seizures?
2. Do you believe that seizures can result in head injuries?
4. How much would you be willing to spend on a product that would prevent head injuries caused by seizures?
Problem Statement
65 million people around the world have active epilepsy, and 3.4 million of them are Americans. In most instances when you have an attack, you fall to the ground. According to the epilepsy foundation, approximately 1/3 of people aged 65+ will fall and receive serious injury due to a seizure. Even the WHO recognizes the potential for brain injury during a seizure due to falls.
Summary
Over the course of two weeks we have discussed many different problems to tackle, but have ultimately settled on trying to solve the threat of physical injury that seizures presents. After finding our problem, we then conducted a survey in order to collect data and see if there is a need for a product to protect or prevent seizures. After seeing that there was, we then conducted research to see if organizations recognize this problem and justify our product. I am glad to be working to solve this problem as it could potentially help prevent injuries and protect millions of people. I am also glad that so many people are interested in and would support a device that can protect and save lives. I personally conducted the majority of the research used to further specify and understand our problem.