EMIX Sentinel – Smart Safety Wearable

EMIX Sentinel is a student-developed smart safety wearable created as part of EMIX Technologies, an independent technology project with a mission to help, guide and protect people through technology.

I am a 15-year-old high-school student from Kenya with a strong interest in electronics, programming, embedded systems, product design and technology. I started developing EMIX because I want to turn my ideas into real working products and learn how technology can be used to solve real problems that people experience in everyday life.

Why I Decided to Develop EMIX Sentinel

The idea for EMIX Sentinel came from a personal experience in my family.

My brother has experienced situations where he would suddenly become unconscious and fall. There were times when my family was extremely worried about leaving him alone because we were afraid that something could happen while nobody was around to help him.

Seeing my family experience that fear made me start thinking about whether technology could provide an additional layer of safety and awareness for people who may suddenly need help.

I began developing EMIX Sentinel with the idea of creating a wearable device that could monitor activity and detect events such as a sudden fall or unusual inactivity. If a potentially dangerous event is detected, the system could notify a trusted person so that they can check on the wearer.

I understand that a wearable device cannot replace doctors, caregivers or emergency services. EMIX Sentinel is not intended to diagnose or treat medical conditions. My goal is to develop a technology platform that can provide an additional layer of awareness and communication when something unexpected happens.

Our Mission

The mission behind EMIX Sentinel is bigger than simply creating another smartwatch.

Our mission is to help people, guide them when they need assistance, and protect them when they may not be able to protect themselves.

I want EMIX to explore how technology can become a trusted companion — something that can provide awareness, guidance and assistance when people need it most.

The idea is simple:

No one should feel completely alone when something unexpected happens.

I want to build technology that can help families feel more connected to the people they care about and give users an additional layer of confidence and safety.

How EMIX Sentinel Works

The planned EMIX Sentinel prototype will use a compact microcontroller together with sensors to collect information about the wearer's movement and activity.

The electronics are being designed around an embedded platform such as the ESP32-S3, together with motion and other sensors. The device will process sensor information and use wireless connectivity to communicate with a companion system.

The features I am working toward include:

Fall and unusual-event detection

Activity monitoring

Detection of unusual inactivity

Wireless connectivity

Notifications to trusted contacts

Emergency-alert functionality

Location assistance

Rechargeable battery operation

Compact wearable design

Companion mobile application

Future intelligent data analysis

These features are part of the development plan, and I intend to test and improve them as the prototype develops.

Current Development

I am currently working on the electronics architecture, component selection, software, PCB design and physical enclosure of EMIX Sentinel.

One of the most important next steps is moving from individual development boards and prototype electronics toward a custom-designed PCB that integrates the major components into a compact and reliable system.

This would allow me to create a much more realistic prototype and learn how a real electronic product progresses from an idea and circuit design to a manufactured PCB and working device.

What I Am Requesting From PCBWay

I would like to apply for PCBWay's student sponsorship program for support with:

Custom PCB manufacturing

PCB assembly, if available

Prototype manufacturing

Advice regarding PCB manufacturing and assembly

Potential support with future prototype revisions

Having a professionally manufactured PCB would allow me to move beyond a basic development-board prototype and test a more integrated version of EMIX Sentinel.

It would also allow me to identify engineering problems, improve my design, test different revisions and learn about the complete process of developing an electronic product.

Why PCBWay

PCBWay is particularly relevant to EMIX Sentinel because the next stage of my project requires professional PCB manufacturing and potentially PCB assembly.

As a 15-year-old student developing this project from Kenya, access to professional PCB manufacturing would be a major opportunity for me to improve my engineering skills and turn my electronics design into a physical prototype.

I would document the development process through photographs, technical documentation, project updates and demonstrations. I would also be happy to acknowledge PCBWay as a technology sponsor of the EMIX Sentinel prototype.

My Vision for EMIX

EMIX Sentinel is only the beginning of what I hope to develop through EMIX Technologies.

My vision is to build technology that does more than simply perform tasks. I want EMIX products to become companions that help people, guide them and protect them.

I want to explore technologies that can assist people when they are vulnerable, help families stay connected and provide useful information when it matters.

EMIX will not be limited to one product. I hope to eventually develop other innovative products and technologies while continuing to learn about electronics, software, artificial intelligence, embedded systems, mechanical design and product development.

Why This Project Matters to Me

This project started with something personal.

Seeing my family worry about my brother made me want to explore whether technology could provide an additional layer of safety and awareness. Instead of allowing that experience to remain only a source of fear, I decided to use it as motivation to learn and build.

I am still young and I know I have a lot to learn. I also know that EMIX Sentinel is only a prototype and that there are many engineering challenges ahead. But I believe that learning by building is one of the best ways to develop as an engineer.

My goal is to take this first step, build a working prototype, learn from the mistakes, improve the design and continue developing EMIX.

I want to turn a personal experience into a mission: to help others, guide them when they need assistance, and develop technology that can help protect the people who matter most.

EMIX Sentinel is not just a smartwatch project for me. It is my first step toward building technology with a purpose — technology designed to help, guide and protect.

EMIX — Technology with a purpose. Helping. Guiding. Protecting.