Hello, I am Drew Kenny from New Zealand. I have a grandfather – in New Zealand, we call him Koro, who is also my best friend. While my family wishes to have Koro by our side for as long as possible, he suffers from Parkinson’s disease.

Koro loves being outdoors. He is the most energetic when working out in the garden but when outside, he forgets to take his medications which means he is not well for the rest of the day. Parkinson’s is caused by low level of dopamine in the brain, meaning Koro must take his dopamine agonists on a strict schedule. Without taking the medicine on time, Koro would get tired easily, lose balance, and his speech would slur. I wanted to prevent this from happening and create a solution where Koro and other patients could enjoy their daily life without worrying about medicines.

Initially, I created a survey to find out what those with Parkinson’s disease liked and wanted. Many patients have expressed the need for assistance to remind them to take their medicines. They wanted something that is easy to use and carry, while also strong and durable.

Inspired by a running belt, I came up with the Parkinson’s Belt. Different prototypes of the belt with a range of accessibility features were tested, reflecting the actual needs of the patients.

Parkinson’s Belt is made of a soft, durable neoprene fabric section with envelope-style pockets. Inside the pockets are pill containers, a water bladder and a support alarm, which have been specially designed for easier use. The pill containers and alarm timer have been attached with a plastic loop so that the objects could slide in and out of the pocket smoothly. The water bladder also has been adjusted with an opener that is easy for people with Parkinson's to open and close.

With hopes to raise awareness for the aid that the patients with Parkinson’s disease need, I submitted the Parkinson’s Belt idea to New Zealand’s Samsung Solve for Tomorrow, which was held for the first time this year. Thankfully, the idea resonated well with the judges and I had the privilege of winning the grand prize!

From the initial ideation phase to testing out prototypes, the creation of the Parkinson’s Belt motivated me to think more creatively and from the perspective of others. Parkinson’s Belt is just the beginning of my experimentation with innovative technologies.