-
ui
Inspiration
Proper handwashing is one of the simplest yet most forgotten hygiene habits, especially in high-risk environments like hospitals and restaurants. People don’t skip steps intentionally — they just rush or forget. We wanted a way to make proper WHO-standard handwashing automatic, guided, and measurable using something people already wear: a smartwatch.
What it does
HandWash Buddy uses smartwatch motion sensors (accelerometer + gyroscope) to detect WHO-recommended handwashing gestures in real time. It guides the user step-by-step with visual cues, vibrates when a gesture is done correctly, and logs each completed wash to a clean dashboard for monitoring hygiene quality.
How I built it
Collected gesture data using a smartwatch’s accelerometer and gyroscope. Analyzed and filtered the signals (MATLAB + threshold tuning). Built gesture-recognition logic and step progression on the watch interface. Created a web dashboard that displays wash sessions, progress, and logs. Connected everything through Supabase/Firebase for real-time updates. Deployed the dashboard publicly using Lovable.
Challenges we ran into
Getting reliable sensor data from the smartwatch and pushing it to the backend. Cleaning noisy accelerometer data and removing outliers. Syncing gestures correctly — small timing differences broke detection early on. Handling background processes and debugging sensor streaming issues. Ensuring different users’ washing styles still mapped to the same gesture patterns.
Accomplishments that we're proud of
Accurately detecting all the key WHO handwashing gestures. A working end-to-end pipeline: watch → detection → dashboard. Creating a clean, minimal UI that guides users in real time. Deploying a fully functional MVP within the hackathon time. Turning messy sensor data into something meaningful and reliable.
What I learned
How to collect, filter, and interpret motion sensor data effectively. Signal processing basics (smoothing, synchronization, thresholding). Debugging wearable apps and handling background services. Integrating real-time databases and managing app-to-cloud communication. The importance of UX when guiding users through step-based actions.
What's next for HandWash Buddy
Personal calibration to adapt to each user's washing style. Better orientation handling so gesture recognition works at any wrist angle. Smart triggers when entering/exiting hygiene-critical zones (geofencing/BLE). Integration with automatic soap/sanitizer dispensers. Lightweight on-device ML model to improve recognition accuracy. Enterprise dashboard for hospitals and restaurants to track hygiene compliance.
Log in or sign up for Devpost to join the conversation.