GRACE
Grace is the world's first automated tracking and cooling device for women experiencing menopausal hot flushes 24 hours a day. Using localised cooling in a wrist worn device, Grace works to counter hot flushes day and night.
THE PROBLEM
Around 1.5 million women experience hot flushes and night sweats in the UK alone.
The main options for women currently are prescribed drugs such as HRT or herbal remedies. As an area of physical product design that has been largely unexplored, women are crying out for an effective solution.
Grace is a wristband which aims to solve one of the main problems for menopausal women. At the onset of a menopausal hot flush, the body's thermoregulatory system is falsely triggered and acts to lose heat. This causes sweating, a rise in heart rate, shortness of breath and a reddening of skin. Besides this being a deeply uncomfortable experience for the user, it is also embarrassing and inconvenient, striking at any time - day or night.
THE SOLUTION
The wristband contains an array of sensors which aim to detect a hot flush before the user becomes aware of it. At this point, a localised cooling mechanism is triggered underneath the wrist. This intense cooling sensation aims to counter the effects of a hot flush, harnessing your body's thermal response mechanisms.
RECOGNITION