Industrial - Bachelors
Pilly: Your Medication Routine Companion
Pilly is a lively, smart companion robot designed to support young patients in building healthy medication routines with encouragement and a big personality.
Tom Cuzzubbo
Industrial - Bachelors
Pilly is a lively, smart companion robot designed to support young patients in building healthy medication routines with encouragement and a big personality.
For many families in Australia, managing a child’s medication schedule is a complex task. Children often have detailed medication regimens, specifying not only the type of medication but also the precise time, dosage, and frequency of each dose. Maintaining consistency is essential, as missing or mistiming doses can lead to unwanted side effects or diminished effectiveness. However, encouraging children to take their medication consistently can be challenging, as they may struggle to see the immediate benefits and lack motivation to follow their regimen.
This makes it critical to create solutions that support parents in tracking and reminding children of their medication needs. An effective system should make it easier for children to understand the importance of their medication routine, feel incentivised to stick with it, and, ultimately, empower parents to stay organised while ensuring their child’s health is prioritised.
The research involved conducting two semi-structured interviews with pharmacists, including a managing pharmacist, to gain valuable insights from the pharmacy perspective on the challenges associated with children’s medication adherence. These interviews were essential in revealing how a child’s non-compliance with medication routines can create significant challenges for pharmacists, who must address potential health risks and assist families in managing these issues.
The pharmacists shared insightful anecdotes from parents, highlighting their ongoing struggle to motivate children to adhere to medication schedules. Many parents face additional pressure as certain medications require precise timing for optimal effectiveness, making routine adherence critical. The research underscored that the primary issue remains encouraging children to follow a consistent medication schedule and stay motivated.
To deepen understanding, observational research was conducted through two full-day (8-hour) shifts at a pharmacy. This hands-on research proved invaluable, allowing for a first-hand experience of parents’ concerns and struggles, which gave a more profound appreciation of the issue. Observing real interactions and hearing directly from parents about their challenges was especially impactful, providing a clear picture of the complexities involved in ensuring children adhere to their medication routines.
Trying to reason with an 8 year-old to take their medication is much harder than it sounds.
parent from pharmacy
When I try to motivate kids to manage their own medications, it can be a nightmare; and I’m not even the parent.
temporary carer from pharmacy
Extensive concept ideation was undertaken to develop a design that captures a child’s attention, ensuring sustained interest in following a routine. This ideation phase was instrumental in crafting meaningful interactions that encourage engagement. Insights from the research revealed that children respond more effectively to clear visual indicators of completion or correct actions. As a result, features such as an LED light encircling the base of the device were incorporated, providing an intuitive visual cue that reinforces successful interaction and encourages continued adherence to the routine.
The child’s medication roll is placed inside Pilly’s stomach, where it is safely secured. The tail end of the sachet can be easily pulled through the slotted section near the front of Pilly. This is where the medication sachet is fed through. To power Pilly, use a USB Type A and plug in!
To effectively track a child’s medication, users must pair their Pilly device with the Pilly app. Within the app, parents can easily set up their child’s medication schedule using an innovative barcode system developed by MPS Medica. By scanning the barcode with their phone or manually entering the medication details, the app securely saves and stores the child’s routine, which is then uploaded to Pilly. Leveraging its inbuilt Real-Time Clock (RTC), Pilly can accurately notify parents via the app or through in-person signals like grunts and expressions, ensuring timely reminders when it’s time for medication.
Building on Pilly’s dynamic personality, the device responds to both in-app interactions and physical interactions in real time. Each input within the app triggers a direct expression from Pilly, creating an engaging, interactive experience. This responsive design aims to help children perceive Pilly as more than just a robot—a true companion supporting them on their medication journey.
With a library of over 100 different expressions, Pilly will ensure that every interaction will be new.
In addition to Pilly’s expressive face, the device also communicates important notifications, including battery level, medication reminders, and milestones. Battery status is conveyed through simple icons, each colour-coded to represent different battery levels, ensuring clarity and ease of understanding. This colour-coding concept is also applied to alarms, with varying colours to indicate the urgency of the medication timing.
A key feature of Pilly is the milestone system, designed to incentivise children by setting goals. Upon reaching a milestone, children earn Pilly Point multipliers, boosting their points by 10%. This reward system encourages consistency in their medication routine, making adherence both motivating and rewarding.
With skills in drawing, concept ideation, and concept art, Tom is dedicated to crafting thoughtful, detailed designs that captivate and inspire. His love for movies brings a cinematic perspective to his work, infusing each project with a sense of storytelling and visual engagement.