The Final Pulse

   Ultimately, my project resulted in both successes and failures. Currently my blood pressure monitor is wireless, and it's application successfully detects the systolic and diastolic pressures. Unfortunately, there are still some issues I was unable to complete on time. Although the program's code will successfully find the systolic and diastolic pressure, the hardware has difficulty detecting the correct pulses for the pressures. This is due to the lack of sensitivity in the pressure sensor I purchased; the pulses in the arm are very small and the pressure sensor cannot reach that level of intricacy.
   Overall, I must say this project was a huge success. Despite its shortcomings, I expected to accomplish much less. I worried the project would be too ambitious, especially for my limited knowledge of programming and circuitry, but through utilizing my resources and remaining dedicated, I accomplished a feat I never expected to achieve in such a brief amount of time.
   In the coming weeks I hope to build an amplifier to catch the smaller pulses in the arm and therefore generate a more accurate blood pressure reading. In addition I hope to improve the application's user interface to include more interactive elements that I initially envisioned for the project. I hope to store records, diagnose hypertension and the possibility of a heart attack, suggest healthy, non-invasive methods to improve one's blood pressure according to the readings, and direct users to local doctors and hospitals when their blood pressure is consistently high and may need further monitoring.
   I've definitely grew as a person through the journey of this project. It proved to me I am capable of pursuing my passions even when preoccupied with other commitments, and that my life and academics and extracurriculars should not hinder me from pursuing what I truly love. It proved to me that I do not need to be a professional with a degree to accomplish everything I've built and coded over the course of this project. The resources on the Internet are so vast and detailed that it proved to be my greatest resource yet. With the Internet I was capable of achieving my goals and exploring my passion, whether it be coding or soldering.
   Some further questions would definitely include how to further this project. I need to consider how to better the application so that users will check their blood pressure often in order to get frequent feedback on their heart conditions. I am thinking of potentially working with hospitals to verify the accurateness of my blood pressure monitor and application and potentially commercialize this project. I am also starting to plan how to take my new information and share it with others. I am thinking of creating outreach opportunities to help others learn how to code and build circuits the same way I learned on my own. And finally, I am thinking of what new healthcare projects I can build to further my goal of mobilizing healthcare.