Alex Reyes

Fab Academy 2026

Week 18: Invention, Intellectual Property and Income

Evaluating the dissemination strategy, future development opportunities and commercialization possibilities of my final project.

Project Type

Open-source wearable for biometric monitoring and anxiety awareness.

Main Hardware

Seeed XIAO ESP32-C6, MAX30102, Led and vibration motor.

Main Objective

Provide real-time alerts when heart rate variations associated with anxiety are detected.

Dissemination Plan

The dissemination strategy for this project will primarily follow an open-source hardware approach. The objective is to share the PCB design files, source code, 3D models and documentation so that anybody can learn from the project, replicate it and improve it.

The project documentation will be available through my Fab Academy website, allowing others to understand the complete development process.

In addition, I am interested in exploring a commercial alternative in the future by offering fully assembled wearable devices for users who want a ready-to-use solution without requiring fabrication or programming knowledge.

By combining open-source documentation with a possible commercial version, the project can contribute to the maker community while exploring real-world applications in different contexts.

Future Possibilities

This project could evolve beyond a simple heart rate monitoring wearable. Future versions could integrate additional biometric sensors such as skin temperature, galvanic skin response (GSR) or motion sensors to improve the accuracy of anxiety detection.

Another possibility is the development of a mobile application capable of receiving biometric information through Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), allowing users to visualize stress levels, monitor trends over time and customize alerts.

The system could also incorporate Machine Learning algorithms capable of identifying individual anxiety patterns and generating more accurate notifications.

In the long term, the wearable could become a personal wellness tool focused on stress management and emotional awareness.

Project Status

Completed Tasks

  • Hardware selection.
  • Communication protocol research.
  • MAX30102 integration with ESP32-C6.
  • Heart rate acquisition.
  • Baseline calibration algorithm.
  • Vibration and LED alerts.
  • Wearable concept design.
  • Project documentation.

Remaining Tasks

  • Final custom PCB fabrication.
  • Flexible wearable structure.
  • Battery integration.
  • Bluetooth communication.
  • Mobile application interface.
  • User testing.
  • Final assembly.
  • Project validation.

What's Working and What's Not

Working Correctly

  • ESP32-C6 and MAX30102 communication.
  • Heart rate acquisition.
  • Baseline calibration logic.
  • BPM increase detection.
  • LED and vibration alerts.
  • General proof of concept.

Requires Improvement

  • Anxiety cannot be detected directly.
  • Motion artifacts still affect measurements.
  • The final wearable format is not completed.
  • Battery integration remains pending.
  • No long-term validation has been performed.

Questions That Need to Be Resolved

Additional Sensors

Which biometric signals could improve detection accuracy?

Battery Life

How long can the wearable operate using only its rechargeable battery?

False Positives

How can false alerts be minimized during daily use?

Goals Timeline

Short-Term Goals

  • Complete the custom PCB design.
  • Integrate all electronic components.
  • Improve heart rate stability.
  • Build the first wearable version.
  • Validate the alert system.

Medium-Term Goals

  • Develop a mobile application.
  • Improve the detection algorithm.
  • Optimize battery life.
  • Integrate a rechargeable battery.
  • Perform user testing.

Long-Term Goals

  • Create a fully functional wearable.
  • Build an open-source ecosystem.
  • Explore commercialization opportunities.
  • Add new biometric sensors.
  • Implement machine learning.
  • Transform the prototype into a practical wellness tool.

Creative Commons License

The first step was visiting the Creative Commons License Chooser to determine which license would be the most appropriate for my project.

Creative Commons provides a tool that guides users through a series of questions and recommends a license based on how they want others to use, modify and distribute their work.

The license chooser can be found here:

Creative Commons License Chooser

Since I was not completely sure which license would best fit my project, I completed the questionnaire provided by the platform.

After answering the questions, the system generated a recommended license that matched the level of sharing and protection I wanted for my work.

Creative Commons License
Recommended Creative Commons license for this project.

Finally, Creative Commons provides a section called "Mark your work". This section generates the HTML code, plain text and attribution information required to properly display the license on a website.

I copied the generated HTML code and integrated it into my Fab Academy documentation page so that visitors can clearly understand the permissions and restrictions associated with this project.