Ready Care
A Snap Spectacles experience that teaches you how to use an EpiPen
Hands Free AR Training for a Lifesaving Skill
Ready Care is an augmented reality EpiPen training tool built for Snap Spectacles that teaches lifesaving skills through step by step guidance, real time feedback, and spatial interaction. The project began as a 72-hour experiment at the 2024 Snap Lensathon, responding to the fact that only 16% of patients can correctly demonstrate EpiPen use, caregivers administer it in just 38.1% of medically necessary cases, and significant knowledge gaps persist even among healthcare providers. Ready Care transforms a stressful, high stakes task into something clear, supportive, and hands on. Because we rarely rise to the occasion, but rather fall to the level of our training, and having supportive training tools could raise the bar for everyone.
Only 16% of people who carry an EpiPen demonstrate correct use
In one study of allergy patients, just 16% were able to correctly demonstrate EpiPen use. Most made multiple errors such as using the wrong end, choosing the wrong site, or not holding long enough.
The Problem
There are significant knowledge gaps among care providers
Large scoping reviews have found major, recurring errors among healthcare workers when using EpiPens, including dosing mistakes, incorrect technique, and confusion about when to administer.
Only 38.1% of caregivers use an EpiPen even when it’s warranted
In a study of 118 reactions where an EpiPen should have been used, caregivers administered it only 38.1% of the time, even in severe, clear-cut emergencies.
The Final Product
Following the win, Ready Care received funding to grow into a more robust and clinically informed AR EpiPen training tool. The expanded version uses hand tracking, body tracking, floor tracking, and realtime spatial feedback in Snap Spectacles to guide users through each step: removing the blue cap, avoiding pockets and seams, placing the pen at the correct site, and maintaining contact for the full time required. Visual cues anchor to the real world, audio prompts reinforce timing, and immediate correction helps users build accurate muscle memory, and users can learn with a friend in the room, or with Sparky, a virtual helper.
At the 2024 Snap Lensathon, Lauren Cason, Kathryn Hicks, Emma Sofija, Sam Jones, and Paige Piskin teamed up to test whether AR could help people learn emergency response steps more confidently. Over three days, the team built a working prototype that offered hands on guidance for using an AED, Narcan, and an EpiPen,all delivered through Snap Spectacles. The experience was intentionally simple and friendly.The prototype won 1st place at LensFest 2024, validating both the concept and the need for a more intuitive way to teach everyday emergency skills.