Whoever said that engineers aren’t fashion conscious clearly wasn’t thinking of David Ng, a mechanical engineer and founder of Cnaptic, a company that develops STEM-based programs using emerging technologies. Ng has recently developed a wrist watch that makes quite a fashion statement. The watch, which has a seven segment LED display in traditional bitmap style rectilinear numbers, is contained in a 3D printed case and wristband. The display of the watch is controlled by a 3-axis motion sensor that triggers the lights when the watch is held up to be read and turns them off again when the user’s wrist is lowered again.
The second round of inspiration was added by Ng’s wife, who suggested the addition of an alcohol sensor. Ng imagined a scenario in which a local tradesperson might finish up her/his last drink and check their watch to see if it was time to head in for the night. Looking at this wrist watch would remind her/him to do a quick breath check just to make sure they were truly in a condition for driving. A quick exhale can be checked, and if the content of their breath is too saturated, an alarm sounds alerting the user that it might be best to call a cab.
Unfortunately, the workout could end in a sprint as you are chased out of public buildings or off of public transportation by the police who have noticed a striking similarity between the watch and a Wily E. Coyote type bomb timer. The timepiece is definitely a conversation piece; Ng himself has found himself the subject of additional attention when wearing it in public.
“I got a comment on the train asking it this was a bomb that was strapped to my wrist,” Ng noted. “I think the toolbox I was also carrying may have added to that impression. Good think I wasn’t arrested with my face on the floor when I got off the train.”
Now that’s refreshing.
Do you see potential in a design like this? Let us know what your thoughts are on this idea in the 3D Printed Watch and Breath Test forum thread over at 3DPB.com.