The Google Solution Challenge invites students from around the world to create innovative solutions that have a positive impact on society using Google technologies. The goal is for each team to support one or more of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set by the United Nations.

The competition's stages include registration and idea submission, project development and submission, judging, and the announcement of winners. The Glutara team achieved top 10 status after competing against teams from countries like South Korea, India, the United States, and Pakistan. This competitive phase culminated in a demo day held on Thursday, June 27, 2024, and was broadcast on the Google Developer Student Clubs' YouTube channel.

The Glutara team, consisting of Austin Gabriel Pardosi, Go Dillon Audris, Margaretha Olivia Haryono, and Michael Leon Putra Widhi, proposed an innovative solution to address the challenges faced by diabetes patients.

"Typically, patients have to use the finger-pricking method to check their blood glucose levels. This method is often painful and uncomfortable for the patients. Moreover, it requires regular monitoring," explained Austin.

Glutara aims to solve these issues by offering a solution for periodic glucose monitoring without the need for finger-pricking. "Our solution is the Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM), which continuously collects data from the user," said Olivia. This data is then processed using machine learning to predict blood glucose levels, which are displayed to the patients through the Glutara app.

In addition to glucose monitoring, the Glutara app features several other functionalities. First, it has an activity log where users can record their sleep, exercise, meals, and medication. Second, there is a family monitoring feature that helps family members keep track of the patient's blood glucose levels. Third, the app includes a food recognition feature. "With this feature, users can take or upload photos of their meals. The app will then identify the food and provide information about its nutritional content," Dillon explained.

The journey of the Glutara team was not without challenges. Over six months of development, they faced numerous obstacles, including academic commitments and a lack of expertise in electronics and biomedical fields.

To overcome these hurdles, the Glutara team made a concerted effort to support each other. "Whenever we felt tired or overwhelmed, we reminded ourselves of our initial goal, which was to create a solution that could help many people," said Olivia.

"We are also grateful for the very supportive environment, including the mentors from Google who guided us throughout the competition," Dillon added.

The Glutara team learned many valuable lessons through the competition. "Don’t be afraid to try something new, even if it seems impossible," Austin stated. They believe that the key is to give their best effort, stay open to learning new things, and have fun amidst the busy competition schedule. The Glutara team’s message is to "stay creative and keep innovating."