Jacob Key
R&D Engineer
Smart Toilet
Organization:
Duke Center for Water, Sanitation, Hygiene, and Infectious Diseases
Project Description:
The goal of this project was to design a device that could stop feces, detect diarrhea, and collect a stool sample if diarrhea was detected. This device was designed with an aim to help nursing home patients who may not have the mental capacity to alert their nurses that they are experiencing abnormal excretions. This is important because diarrhea can often be indicative of other issues and infections.
What I Learned:
The most important skill I gained during this project was the ability to integrate my engineering work with other facets of a project. This group had engineering, bioanalytical, regulatory, and business sub-teams. While we often worked independently, the conclusions of each sub-team would affect decisions on the engineering team and vice-versa.
