Future Now
The IFTF Blog
BodyShock Winner Profile: Smarter Sleep
<iframe src="http://player.vimeo.com/video/17531603" width="400" height="225" frameborder="0"></iframe>
Here is another of the winning presentations from the BodyShock the Future contest for ideas to improve global health that was held this summer.
One of the top 5 winners of the contest was ZedAlert, the app designed by Stephanie Liou and Stewart MacGregor of Stanford University to help people sleep better and smarter. Their presentation is above, and their entry into the contest describes their innovative idea:
"zedAlert - Sleep better. Sleep more. Sleep smarter.
With numerous harmful effects on disease, obesity, safety, creativity, cognition, productivity, happiness, and more, sleep deprivation is one of the biggest, yet most under-appreciated health crises of modern times. zedAlert is an iPhone application currently under development by two Stanford students, together with faculty from the Stanford School of Medicine. It records user sleep data and uses mathematical models to determine the optimal times for each individual to sleep, in order to maximize restfulness. zedAlert also tracks sleep debt, provides push notification alerts, assists with diagnosis of sleep disorders, and offers many other tools for comprehensively improving sleep health."
This week, Stephanie sent us an update on their progress in the past couple of months:
"We've been working on the app over break and have met with some more advisors, so I'd say that we're making progress, but are not yet ready to launch. Some of the algorithms are proving to be quite tricky, unfortunately. I'll make sure to keep you updated as we go along!"
We wish Stephanie and Stewart all the best as they moves forward with their idea to bring smarter sleep to the world. Stay tuned for videos of the other BodyShock winners over the coming weeks, and for updates on each winner as they make progress.
IFTF's current contest, accepting entries until January 31, is the California Dreams Contest. We're asking people, "What is Your Dream for the Future of California?" The winner will receive the $3,000 Roy Amara Prize for Participatory Foresight. Enter your dream today!