Nasoni Access-H20: Sensor-driven smart faucet to enable and empower independent drinking and grooming for individuals impacted by spinal cord injury
(Suffolk, VA – June 2022) Nasoni, the inventive manufacturer and retailer responsible for introducing bathroom faucets with fountain-like capabilities into the North American bath sector, has been selected for a Phase I SBIR Grant Award with the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The objective of Phase I is to design, develop & demonstrate feasibility of Nasoni’s proposed Access-H2OTM fountain faucet, a sensor driven smart faucet to enable and empower independent drinking and grooming for individuals impacted by spinal cord injury (SCI). SCI severely impacts functional independence & ability to perform activities of daily living (ADLs).
Functional access to water for these individuals becomes a key to increased independence and successful completion of ADLs. Nasoni’s patent-pending smart fountain faucet, which can automatically deliver water in target temperature, force, & nozzle setting for a specific ADL, has the potential to empower individuals with SCI for greater independence & improved quality of life. And while the focus of the grant is aligned to SCI patients, it is recognized that many others will also benefit from the technology Nasoni will develop under the grant.
Figure 1 Nasoni’s award-winning, patented bathroom fountain faucet
The global smart faucets market was valued at USD $301.9 million in 2018, and consumer preferences towards smart homes plays a key role in this market expansion. Smart faucets are equipped with various motion sensors, touch sensors, and temperature gauges for convenience, luxury, and controlling water usage. There are many companies in the smart faucet market including Kohler Co., DELTA Faucet Company, LIXIL Group Corporation, Symmons, and Chicago Faucets. However, their products are geared primarily towards providing luxury and convenience for consumers with smart homes or for commercial facilities.
“Today’s smart faucets have not been developed for individuals with disabilities, especially those with SCI, and none of these products offer capabilities for drinking and grooming. This NIH SBIR grant will help our team advance Nasoni’s lead product, our award-winning fountain faucets, to include an updated sensor version that will fill what we view as a gap in the faucet market. We are very grateful to have the support from the NIH and their recognition of the strength of the team we established for this effort”, says Nasoni President & CEO Steve Waddell.
Dr. Anna Jeng, Professor in the School of Community Environmental Health at Old Dominion University (ODU) and Dr. Lisa Koperna, Director of ODU Monarch Physical Therapy will lead the clinical trial for the Access H2OTM prototype through a sub-award to ODU from Nasoni.
Research reported in this publication was supported by the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health & Human Development of the National Institutes of Health under Award Number R43HD108061. The content is solely the responsibility of the authors and does not necessarily represent the official views of the National Institutes of Health.
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