“Pill Bottle”

In the fall of 2017 a class group and I began researching how technology may be applied to augment and influence human behavior. We were encouraged to problem solve and explore using low-fidelity prototyping (i.e. without Raspberry Pi or Arduinos). Our group members decided to focus research around taking pills and other medicine – a field which is highly saturated with a range of mildly successful products, from custom-order pill packs to timed-opening pill cases and blister pack monitoring dongles.

We wanted to create a solution for college students taking allergy medicine, birth control, or other medication on a regular schedule. Many college students keep a water bottle on them and most folks taking pills need water to help them swallow. We decided to combine the two into a bottle with integrated pill storage and compartments for potential electronics in the base (location, notification light/speaker, timer, etc). Our design process focused on “looks like” prototypes accompanied by explanations of how a more technical implementation might function. We began with sketches, then blocked out ideas with cardboard, refined, created a 3D printed version, and also modeled a version using off-the-shelf components.