A dad of a 9-year-old with Type 1 diabetes created a smartwatch to help manage his son’s condition. Existing devices like the Apple Watch were too distracting and complicated. He built prototypes using off-the-shelf modules and eventually designed a custom PCB. Solving technical challenges, like a reliable Bluetooth connection, was crucial. The prototype featured haptic feedback based on glucose trends and used a simple TFT display. The dad learned about 3D modeling, case fabrication, and PCB iteration along the way. While he didn’t find a path to market, he shared his experience to help others in the T1D community.
https://andrewchilds.com/posts/building-a-t1d-smartwatch-from-scratch