Prometeo Named 2022 Edison Award Finalist
Arrow Electronics’-supported Startup Developed Wearable Technology to Safeguard Firefighter Health
FORT MYERS, Fla., February 28, 2022 /3BL Media/ - Prometeo, a startup focused on keeping firefighters healthy in the field, has been named a 2022 Edison Awards finalist in the category of Personal Technology. With help from Arrow Electronics and IBM, the Barcelona-based firm has developed a wireless wearable device for firefighters that tracks their exposure to toxins.
Roughly the size of a smart phone, the device measures heat, smoke and toxins and sends that data to the cloud for analysis. Through machine-learning, that information is distilled into a simple color-coded health status that commanders can use to monitor both the immediate danger to firefighters and their risk of chronic long-term exposure.
“Firefighters are warriors, but they don't have superpowers,” said Salome Valero, a co-founder of Prometeo. “It's our responsibility to help them with technology.”
A winner of the 2019 Call for Code Global Challenge, Prometeo is field-testing the device in wildfire-prone countries and plans to deploy the technology 2023. Arrow is supporting the effort by providing design engineering, component sourcing and options for both manufacturing and responsible end-of-life disposition. IBM is providing cloud services and Watson Analytics.
Prometeo’s device can be produced for less than $11 apiece and is reusable, offering 20 million firefighters worldwide a cost-effective safety solution at a time when wildfires are becoming more frequent and intense.
“It’s amazing to see a startup like Prometeo continuing Thomas Edison’s legacy of challenging conventional thinking and developing ‘game-changing’ new products and services,” said Frank Bonafilia, Edison Awards’ executive director.
The Edison Awards globally recognizes, honors and fosters innovations and innovators whose solutions make a positive impact in the world. Arrow and its partners have received Edison Awards recognition in years past. Last year, the company won a Silver Edison Award for its social robot Belle’s Dragon, created for a Make-A-Wish recipient who wanted a pet dragon.
The 2022 Edison Award winners will be announced April 21, 2022 at a ceremony hosted by PBS NewsHour journalist Miles O’Brien.
The Edison Awards is a program conducted by Edison Universe, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization. For more information visit https://edisonawards.com.
About Arrow Electronics
Arrow Electronics guides innovation forward for over 220,000 leading technology manufacturers and service providers. With 2021 sales of $34 billion, Arrow develops technology solutions that improve business and daily life. Learn more at fiveyearsout.com.
###
