Buddy

BUDDY

WHAT IS BUDDY?

BUDDY is a revolutionary drug detection sleeve that has been developed to target the pervasive issue of drink spiking. Designed specifically for use by club-goers, BUDDY uses a fluorescent sensor to detect common ‘date rape’ drugs including GHB, Rohypnol, and Ketamine. Once activated, BUDDY alerts the user in real time through its unique continuous and reusable detection system.

The bright LED lights are easily detectable within a dark setting such as a nightclub and provide a visual alert to user of the threat of a contaminated drink. This also helps provide a reliable time-stamp for the user to note and report the incident. The electronic components are contained in a screw-shut case that can be smoothly popped out of the housing unit in the bottom of the sleeve.To support regular use in a hospitality setting, the removable silicone sleeve can be repeatedly placed in the dishwasher – ready for the next use.

BUDDY creates immense value for users by significantly increasing their safety and ability to enjoy a carefree night out. By adopting the use of BUDDY, nightclubs can better ensure the safety of their patrons and likely result in an increase in patronage and overall sales. While the product has been designed to be purchased and subsequently adopted by nightclubs, individual purchase is still be available to club-goers.

PHASE 1: RESEARCH

The fundamental purpose of the initial research was to gain a better understanding of the overall nightclubbing experience for women, especially the before, during, and after stages. Through five interviews with key stakeholders and a survey completed by 38 college girls, the main issues were identified.

The risk of drink spiking was a major area of concern for many college women and was unfortunately became a real situation that many of these women had personally dealt with.

Over 80% of college girls surveyed had either been spiked or knew someone who had been

After the target area for intervention was identified, more primary and secondary research was conducted. It became apparent that there were major gaps in the market for a drink safety device, specifically one that was able to detect potential drink spiking in real time, was reusable, and didn’t place onus on the user to seek out safety precautions.

PHASE 2: sketching, prototyping, testing… and more research

Once the project direction had been identified, I dived straight into the initial sketching of what the design might look like. This phase took a few twist and turns…

Initially, I looked at designing a drug detection cup and spent most of my design process trying to understand what this would look like. However, after lengthy discussions with multiple researchers at QUT that specialised in chemical engineering, this was looking less and less feasible by the minute and left many practicality questions to be unanswered.

This led me to change the direction from a detection cup to a drug detection sleeve, which offered the most practicality – both for the users and the nightclub industry – and took into consideration current and emerging technology.

You can see what some of this phase looked like below.

PHASE 3: DESIGN DEVELOPMENT

This third and final phase saw the creation of BUDDY, the revolutionary drug detection sleeve. The name was based off a common theme that was mentioned by the college girls; the buddy system. So BUDDY became the friend that was always looking out for you.

Designed to be reusable and removable, BUDDY’s sleeve is completely dishwasher safe and the case can be easily wiped down and charged for continuous use. The unique design is the first of it’s kind, offering real-time detection with no user involvement required.

Taking into consideration emerging technology with optical fluorescent sensors, BUDDY offers protection against the main ‘date rape drugs’; GHB, Rohypnol, and Ketamine. It offers high sensitivity, high specificity, immunity to light scattering, and ease of operation. The use of a fluorescent sensor for detecting illicit drugs has been a groundbreaking development in decreasing drink spiking.

Featuring bright LED lights in the inductive charging case, the detection sleeve will light up when the drink becomes contaminated with these drugs, providing a highly visual alert to users in a nightclub setting. Compatible with standard night club tumbler glasses, BUDDY can be quickly slipped onto the glass prior to use.

final design

BUDDY’S UTOPIAN VISION