DESCRIPTION
The Smart Toothbrush is a concept for a toothbrush that can tell the user when their teeth are clean, and when to stop brushing. By guessing when to stop brushing, the user is either not properly cleaning their teeth or wasting their time. The concept is to use an existing fluorescent dye that binds to plaque and glows under a specific range light waves. The dye is used in the toothpaste and invisible under normal lighting. The toothbrush contains an LED to emit the specific light range that the dye reflects, and a photo resistor to read whether the dye is reflecting the light, indicating that plaque is present on the tooth. A microcontroller can then inform the user when the plaque is gone and it is time to move to the next tooth.
Award Winning Smart Toothbrush
PROCESS
This concept was developed at a Northeastern’s “Entrepreneurship for the Greater Good” challenge. Myself and several others came up with the idea in a brainstorming session. We researched different alternative solutions to the problem and technological methods of making the smart toothbrush. We conducted consumer research to see if there was market potential and developed a rough business plan over the course of an intensive weekend. We then presented the plan to judges and won first place in the contest. Unfortunately, due to several members graduating and moving away, we did not pursue the idea any further.
LESSONS LEARNED
In the process of developing this concept I learned about initial stages of innovation and creating a business plan. I discovered how important it is to validate consumer demand for a concept even before proving technical feasibility. I also learned how to organize and motivate a group to overcome seemingly imposible setbacks.
