The government is searching for wearable technology that can measure a person’s blood-alcohol levels through skin contact, in real time, and record data.
The National Institutes of Health opened up a new round of funding for “discreet, wearable device to monitor blood alcohol levels in real time,” according to a grant solicitation posted on the NIH website.
“The alcohol biosensor device should be unobtrusive, appealing to the wearer, and can take the form of jewelry, clothing, or any other format located in contact with the human body,” the post says.
While law enforcement has made great use of breathalyzers and other blood-alcohol tests, NIH says the technology needs “significant modification for wider use in other situations.” (RELATED: Spit-Based Breathalyzer Could Tell Cops How High A Driver Is)
The National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, a part of NIH, gave out half a million dollars in prizes earlier this year in its Wearable Alcohol Biosensor Challenge.
The NIH awarded $200,000 to BACtrack, which created a prototype of a watch-like device that tracks and detects ethanol molecules escaping through the skin, according to a company press release.
The NIH did not say how many grants they intend to give out with the current round of funding, or how much they will spend in total. They are seeking applicants for two phases of research, one for first-time, smaller research groups (under 80 people), and the other for further research. Companies with phase I research could get around $225,000, and phase II projects could receive $1.5 million.
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