Synchrome

What it does

Synchrome’s smart sensor turns any adult diaper into a smart one. It alerts caregivers when wet, preventing rashes, infections, and caregiver burnout. Reusable and discreet, it promotes dignity and is a sustainable IoT solution for eldercare.

Your inspiration

Our inspiration came from two places. First, from our own families. Seeing elderly loved ones lose their independence and quietly sit in soiled diapers was heartbreaking. No one should have to ask for help like that. Second, from conversations with nurses and caregivers who shared how exhausting it is to care for many patients and check diapers constantly. We saw the toll it took on both dignity and care quality. That is when we knew we had to build something better. Something that supports both the elderly and those who care for them. That is how Synchrome began.

How it works

Synchrome’s smart diaper system helps caregivers detect when a diaper needs changing. At its core is a compact, attachable smart tag that clips onto any standard diaper, eliminating the need for proprietary products and allowing for easy adoption. Our MVP validates the core sensing function using capacitive sensing technology. As moisture increases, changes in dielectric properties alter the tag’s capacitance, enabling detection of dry, moderately wet, and heavily soaked states. The prototype proves reliable sensing across varying saturation levels. Future iterations aim to enhance accuracy, support multiple diaper brands, and add features like wireless data transmission and app-based alerts for a seamless user experience.

Design process

We began with an ambitious idea to build a smart diaper. However, research showed that existing ones are costly, hard to manage and contribute to waste due to embedded sensors. Additionally, since most care centres use regular diapers, switching to proprietary ones is not practical or sustainable. This led to our first pivot. Instead of building an entire smart diaper, we decided to create a reusable sensor that could be attached to any regular diaper. Our second pivot came when choosing the sensor type. We explored various sensors, and capacitive sensors were the best fit. They were compact, accurate, and less intrusive. We then created a design brief outlining our goal, constraints, and evaluation criteria. Using a morphological matrix, we brainstormed a wide range of ideas, including some unconventional ones. We explored frugal innovation and drew inspiration from soil moisture sensors. Though we considered advanced features like urine output tracking, we decided to keep it simple. Our focus remains on what matters most — timely alerts that protect dignity and ease caregiver burden.

How it is different

Our design is different because it is a reusable and an attachable tag that transforms any regular adult diaper into a smart one. Most smart diapers on the market have sensors embedded inside them, making them expensive and wasteful since the entire diaper, along with the sensor, is thrown away after each use. Ours is designed to be sustainable, affordable, and flexible for caregivers and elderly users alike. It is also sleek, lightweight, and discreet, ensuring comfort for the user and ease of use in both home and hospital settings. We have also developed our own method of sensing, using a combination of microcontrollers and basic electronic components. By rethinking how sensing can be done, we have created a solution that is cost-effective, easy to integrate into existing systems, and most importantly, respectful of the elderly’s comfort and dignity.

Future plans

While we are currently focused on building a 'smart' diaper, this is just the beginning. What we are really building is a smart moisture-detection and alert system that can be adapted to many different healthcare needs. In the future, we plan to extend this sensing technology to other important areas like IV site monitoring, early detection of bed sores, wound care, and bandaging for better monitoring. We want to create a range of smart, affordable, and easy-to-use tools that support caregivers and protect patients. Our goal is to improve healthcare in ways that feel natural, while preserving comfort and dignity for those who need it most.

Awards

Our journey began with CatalystX, a startathon organised by NUS Enterprise, where our idea won first place among strong competition. This early recognition encouraged us to keep building. We are now proudly incubated at HANGAR by BLOCK71, NUS Enterprise’s startup hub that supports early-stage ventures like ours.