Week 12

This week, we conducted a lot of market research regarding our product and found out some good and bad news in our field. On one hand, we have received lots of valuable information from UC Davis that allows us to really get into the finer points of developing our product, but on the other hand, we have found out that there are some existing companies in this field that do similar work.

One of the companies that we are particularly worried about is Empatica. They develop a wristband that uses similar sensors as our wearable to measure emotions (note their name - empathy). However, while we may target Autism or the general population, Empatica targets patients with epilepsy specifically. As such, though our products are similar, it is possible we could outmaneuver Empatica by focusing on a different market or by championing the technology for the public at large.

In order to become presentation-ready, I think we need to focus on how our company is different from the rest of the competitors we have found. One thing that sets us apart I believe comes from our patent itself. One of the core claims of our patent is in fact that it is a textile wearable. In fact, the inventors of the patent from UC Davis presented it at a textiles conference and not an electronics conference! As such, we may be able to market ourselves as sleeker and more in tune to consumer needs by creating a truly "wearable" electronic that breaks out of the mold of the classic wristband technology.

Once we figure out our niche within the wearables market, I believe we will be ready to go full steam ahead to the final presentation.

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