Project Objective:

The objective of this study was to "Integrate a 565 kHz EM wave Mosquito Repellent module inside a smartwatch wristband". Mosquitoes have a natural tendency to flee away and take shelter when they sense a EM wave of around 565 KHz frequency, as they perceive it to be an incoming thunderstorm or a lightening discharge. This phenomenon was used by Nopixgo, a Swiss company to develop a wrist band and create a 2 meters diameter protective sphere around the user to reduce mosquito interaction with humans. Its a great idea but I believe that the standalone wristband won't be able to sustain by itself in the future. That is why, I decided to create a theoretical approach of integrating it into a smartwatch, as a part of my Microsystems Integration course project.

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My Role:

After doing some research about wearable antennas, I decided to integrate this new module as a graphene-based flexible antenna on a flex-PCB inside the unoccupied wristband of the smartwatch. It was an unique option rather than increasing the size or height of the smartwatch. I researched and estimated the transmitting properties of the antenna, weight and size of the current Nopixgo module. I also analyzed key issues in electrical compatibility (EMI), mechanical packaging, structural rigidity, heat transfer and human interaction.

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Results:

This idea is still in a very early conceptual phase and also requires the expertise of an Electrical Engineer. The combination of a flexible graphene antenna and flexible PCB would be an interesting approach of inserting this EM module inside the currently unoccupied wristband, by keeping the overall smartwatch thickness the same. It would be a very useful feature especially for hikers and people living in/travelling to the tropical regions (eg: Engineers & Doctors without Borders) and protecting them from deadly mosquito-borne diseases.