The Thing From the Future
This midterm project allows us to explores future medical technology, focusing on treatment of chronic illnesses.
The Blurb: The Concept
In 2124, Mia, a 30-year-old track and field athlete with hemophilia, relies on the VitaGuard to monitor her health and deliver clotting factors in real-time, allowing her to compete at an elite level. The device has transformed health management, but its use in professional sports remains controversial. As Mia prepares for the Olympic trials, her success sparks debate about whether the VitaGuard is simply leveling the playing field or giving her an unfair advantage. Her journey is uncertain when a formal complaint is filed, putting her Olympic dreams at risk.
The Arc: Story Shaping and Development
As Mia’s Olympic trials progress, Lena’s coach, a seasoned and vocal figure in sports, files a formal complaint with the Olympic committee, claiming that the VitaGuard gives Mia an unfair advantage. Lena, a rising star in the same event, remains quiet as her coach leads the charge, questioning the ethics of Mia’s reliance on the patch. The complaint prompts the committee to suspend Mia’s participation while they investigate, placing her future in the Olympics on hold and igniting public controversy.
The Cast: Characters and Context
Mia: A 30-year-old track and field athlete with hemophilia, using the VitaGuard to manage her condition. Mia grew up with overprotective parents who constantly discouraged her from pursuing high-impact activities, fearful for her safety due to her condition. Despite their concerns, Mia’s passion for athletics never wavered. She battled not only her physical limitations but also the emotional weight of being told that she couldn’t live her dreams. The VitaGuard opened the door for her to finally compete at the level she always dreamed of, making the current controversy surrounding her Olympic hopes even more painful.
Lena: A younger athlete competing in the same event as Mia. Though a rising star, Lena distances herself from the controversy, but her coach’s actions place her in the spotlight.
Lena’s Coach: A seasoned, vocal sports figure who files a formal complaint against Mia, claiming the VitaGuard provides an unfair advantage and threatens the integrity of the sport.
The Object: The VitaGuard
The VitaGuard is a small wearable patch that adheres to Mia’s skin and continuously monitors her vitals. Nano-needle technology delivers clotting factors in real-time, ensuring that Mia can safely perform at an elite level despite her hemophilia. The patch has a soft, luminescent embroidered surface that glows to indicate status, and an e-ink display provides health updates. With biodegradable cartridges for sustainability, the VitaGuard is both efficient and environmentally friendly, enabling athletes like Mia to compete without fear of health complications.
Give It Life: Designing the VitaGuard
Design: The VitaGuard is a sleek, 2x2-inch square patch that adheres comfortably to the skin.It has a soft, luminescent embroidered surface, giving it a modern, minimalist appearance.Made from biopolymer material, it is lightweight and flexible, designed for long-term use during both rest and intense physical activity.The patch includes a small e-ink display that shows real-time health data like vital signs and clotting factor levels.
Functionality: The VitaGuard monitors blood flow and clotting factors using light-based technology. When it detects that Mia’s clotting factors are low or a bleed is about to occur, nano-needles automatically deploy from inside the patch. These needles inject clotting agents painlessly into Mia’s bloodstream and retract once the injection is complete. The process is entirely automated, with the patch giving Mia a subtle notification through a soft buzz when an injection takes place. The patch uses biodegradable cartridges to store the clotting agents, which Mia can replace without removing the patch.
User Experience: For Mia, the VitaGuard is an integral part of her routine, designed to be as unobtrusive as possible. It’s lightweight and flexible, allowing her to wear it continuously, even during high-performance athletic activities. The luminescent embroidery subtly changes color to indicate her health status, providing Mia with reassurance without distracting her from her training or competition. When the VitaGuard delivers clotting agents, Mia feels only a gentle buzz, reminding her of the device’s operation without interrupting her focus. The e-ink display provides real-time data, allowing Mia to check her vitals quickly and discreetly. Maintenance is simple—biodegradable cartridges are easy to replace, ensuring that the patch is sustainable and that Mia can continue wearing it without disruption. The overall experience is seamless, allowing Mia to focus on her performance, not her condition.