Team creates smart mat to help diabetics avoid amputations

The team created Smart Mat so that it can help diabetics to avoid foot ulcers that can lead to foot or leg amputation. The device works by measuring the temperature of a person’s feet and can be used in the comfortable surrounds of their own home.

“A diabetic patient has abnormal [high] glucose levels in the blood, affecting its flow to the lower extremities. This causes the foot to be colder than average. By outputting temperature values, the patient can see which foot is more affected”, they said.
They also developed a mobile app so that the data can be directly sent to the doctor.

“We were looking for an easy way for patients to see that data and to share that information with their doctor. We looked at some other studies, and we saw that they used some type of thermometer but the patient had to take the temperature on their own and write the data down and communicate it back to their doctor and we wanted to streamline that. The mat is important because it takes the temperature, but also our app because it allows them to communicate the information with their doctor”, the team explained.

They used Arduino Uno in the development of the project, and C++ based coding for language purposes. The project had a development cost of 500 USD and the team has applied for a provisional application patent.

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