HackDFW
HackDFW is a huge hackathon held in Dallas annually. It started off as a local college hackathon but grew tremendously in only a few years. In 2016, there were at least 2,000 participants from not only all over the country, but a few from other parts of the world as well. The topic space was open and each team had barely 2 full days to put together a solution to be presented on the last day.
The Problem & Process
Drunk driving is now a long-time running problem. The blood alcohol concentration (BAC) used to issue DUIs do not actually work as a one size fits all, because every person’s tolerance of alcohol will be different. With ride-sharing companies like Uber and Lyft today, it is no excuse for someone to drive anywhere after alcohol consumption.
We had 24 hours to define a problem, research the scope, ideate and prototype a solution. Due to the time-constraint, research was limited to an online survey and a few phone calls that we made to people in our network. We then proceeded almost immediately to ideation and once we found a feasible and desirable idea, we built out a mobile and smartwatch application, and also a presentation deck to be shown to the judges.
The Solution
DrinkSmart is an app that integrates Mobile applications and smartwatch/wellness tracker technology. The app is intended to create awareness and promote responsibility on the road by measuring your heart rate during alcohol consumption, and providing users with warnings to deter them from driving on their own. The app allows quick and simple actions from the warning notifications to request an Uber ride or give a friend a call. We were even selected as one of the winners for a sponsor prize by State Farm!
