Biodevices without borders

Summary

Globally, 1 in 3 people lack access to safe drinking water (WHO, 2019).

To tackle this pressing issue, CWBE’s Dr Despina Moschou founded Bath Biodevices without Borders in 2021 under the Vertically Integrated Projects (VIP) framework, deploying in real-life her Lab-on-PCB diagnostic research on water for the educational benefit of Bath undergraduate students across all University disciplines and year groups.

Aligned with UN Sustainability Goals of ‘Good Health and Well-being’ and ‘Clean Water and Sanitation’, our student team is developing a portable, affordable, and sustainable water quality testing device to support disadvantaged communities facing water scarcity and contamination.

The solution

Our team includes students from various disciplines and academic levels, ranging from first-year undergraduates to PhD students, with new members recruited at the start of each academic term working in sub-groups based on their skills and interests, with financial support provided by the Faculty of Engineering and Design and external sponsors.

All aspects of the project are student-led with light-handed academic supervision where necessary, with sub-groups including Sensors, Hardware and Software and Non-Technical sub-groups of Finance, Outreach and Social; this approach enables students to gain a variety of applied technical and professional skills in an impactful project alongside their degree.

Our initial prototype is called the OASIS device (On-site Aquatic Safety Inspection System) equipped with sensors to measure critical water quality parameters, such as pH, turbidity, conductivity, temperature, and nitrates.

A caption for the image above.

The challenge

The OASIS device was featured on the BBC in 2023
(https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-somerset-67379854)
and is designed to connect to our custom-made smartphone app, enabling real-time data sharing via Bluetooth, GPS geolocation and timestamping of each measurement, alerting users to unsafe water sources. By combining innovative technology with inclusive design, we hope to empower communities with a reliable tool to address water quality challenges, contributing to a healthier and more sustainable future.

Our team has already visited our South African partner University for end-user engagement and will be engaging further with local communities in 2024 with our Bangladesh partner University, Asian University for Women.