NeuroSavor

What it does

Health crises: Diabetes demands sugar reduction tools Aging populations: 40% of seniors experience taste impairment (WHO) Wellness culture: Consumers crave personalized experiences

Your inspiration

My journey began with a focus on medication adherence challenges. Witnessing elderly relatives struggle with pill organizers and water coordination sparked the initial concept: an integrated smart cup with a rotating pill compartment. This aimed to merge hydration and medication into one seamless ritual. Inspired by single-serve coffee systems, I prototyped a cup with integrated puncture. My advisor recommend that I make a cup lid. Final inspiration struck when reviewing Oxford crossmodal research: studies proving vibrations modulate taste perception (Spence, 2015). I think it would be possible to design a cup lid with a sensory interface.

How it works

1.The Setup: What’s Inside Vibration Pads: Tiny motors are embedded in the rim where your lips touch the lid. Control Panel: A touch-sensitive button on top lets you select modes: SweetBoost, BitterBlocker, or UmamiEnhance. Brain (Microchip): A small computer chip processes your selection and controls the vibrations. Power: A rechargeable coin-sized battery . 2.The Magic Moment: When You Drink Step 1: You choose a mode (e.g., SweetBoost for unsweetened tea) Step 2: As you raise the cup to your lips, sensors detect motion and activate the lid Step 3: 0.5 seconds before liquid touches your lips, the vibration pads emit a precise Step 4: You sip the liquid while vibrations continue 3.Why It Changes Taste Your lips and mouth are packed with nerves that send signals to your brain Specific vibration patterns: SweetBoost: High-speed buzz (200 Hz) → tricks your brain into "tasting" sweetness. BitterBlocker: Slow, deep pulses (50 Hz) → dampens bitter signals.

Design process

Phase 1:Problem Discovery Initial concept: "HydraMeds Cup" with built-in pill dispenser. Early Sketch: Rotating pill compartment under cup handle. Pivot:User testing revealed 68% preferred separate medication management. Phase 2:Coffee Breakthrough Attempt Concept: "BrewCup" – Single-serve coffee cup with needle mechanism. Prototype V1: 3D-printed cup body puncture needle(like Keurig) Failures: Needles clogged with coffee grounds 30% leakage during testing Only worked with proprietary pods Key Insight: Advisor’s feedback: "Your brilliance is in enhancing drinks, not making them" Phase 3: Lid-Centric Epiphany Market Research: Interviewed 37 coffee/tea drinkers: "I’d buy add-ons for my favorite mug" – Sarah, 28 Discovered Oxford vibration-taste research Concept Shift: Universal Smart Lid with: No cup replacement needed Lower manufacturing cost Broader applications Phase 4: Prototype Evolution Proto A:Direct-Path Design Thermal Conductive Ceramic Pads (3mm thick) Motors press directly against pads Testing Result: 70% testers reported "tingle on lips" SweetBoost mode scored 4.2/5 effectiveness Proto b: User-Tuned (Present) Key Features: 8 Micro-LRA Motors (3x3mm) embedded in ceramic Tilt Sensor (activates on lift) Mode Selector (capacitive touch buttons) Qi Wireless Charging

How it is different

1. The NeuroSavor Difference: Rewiring Taste, Not Your Drink While other products alter beverages themselves—adding sweeteners, changing temperatures, or infusing scents—NeuroSavor does something radical: it gently recalibrates your senses. 2. The Only Device That Leaves Your Drink Pure 3. Precision-Targeted Biology: Past attempts used vibrating forks or handheld devices with weak results. Your lips have 10x more nerve endings than your fingertips with direct pathways to taste centers. NeuroSavor delivers 300% greater effectiveness (vs. 2020 handheld device data from Meiji University). 4. Medical-Grade Science in Daily Rituals Competitors focus on convenience (e.g., hydration tracking). NeuroSavor solves clinical-scale needs: Cancer patients regain taste for broth using UmamiEnhance mode Seniors with age-related taste loss perceive sweetness again Diabetics enjoy sugar-free coffee via BitterBlocker

Future plans

1.Clinical Validation: FDA clearance for medical use (chemotherapy/senior taste loss) by Q1 2025. 2.Product Launch: Medical edition ($199) via insurance Consumer model ($49) direct/retail 3.Tech Evolution: Bluetooth app for custom profiles AI beverage recognition (2026) 4.Sustainability: Shift to ocean-bound plastics + global repair networks. 2027 Vision: Health Impact: Reduce sugar intake equivalent to 2.5M soda cans daily Market Presence: Embedded in 10% of Chinese coffee chains Ultimate Goal: Make personalized taste enhancement universal – restoring flavor joy from hospital beds to kitchen tables.

Awards