Getting tipsy? Singapore’s Oopsy and your smartphone will help you stay safe

We’ve all been there; get out for a night on the town, have maybe a little too much of a good time, and then discover you forgot to appoint a designated driver to get everyone home safely. What do you do? You could try stumbling towards your house’s general direction. But maybe it’s worth exploring other options; like Oopsy by Singapore startup Infini Square, which aims to help monitor your alcohol intake and avoid such unpleasant situations.

While Singapore already has a great incentive in place against excessive drinking (read: the price of alcohol), other countries might not be so lucky. Wherever you are, Oopsy provides quite a few options to the prospective imbiber. Basically, it’s a small portable breathalyzer device that plugs into your smartphone via the headphone jack. If you’ve gone and had one Singapore Sling too many, it will let you know and the companion app will present you with some helpful suggestions. You can try looking for a cab or an Uber car or (our favorite) book a nearby hotel to spend the night (and presumably avoid your better half’s accusing stare back home).

The Oopsy device’s prototype version is completed and Infini Square is currently putting in the final touches before it goes into mass production. In the meantime, however, the company had the pleasure of winning Singapore’s prestigious Good Design Gold Award.

“Winning the award is a tremendous recognition for us,” Infini Square’s founder, Dr. Queck Cham Kiong, told Tech in Asia, “considering that the Oopsy smartphone breathalyzer is the first ever product by Infini Square, a startup that only commenced operation less than a year ago. It is an indication that Infini Square is moving in the right direction, and we hope that the award will be a springboard to many more successful products in the future.”

The coveted distinction is a significant boost for the young startup (formed in June 2014) and places it in a company of winners that last year included Electrolux and Singapore’s own Housing Development Board.

The Fatfish Medialab-backed startup is seeking to stake its claim in a market that has already seen a few attempts at the smartphone breathalyzer, such as Alcohoot and Breathometer. It hopes to stand apart in this market by combining practical use and aesthetics, according to Queck.

“A lot of thought is put from the perspective of the users, from the way users carry the device, connect it to the smartphone, and breathe into it,” he explains. “For example, when Oopsy is connected to the smartphone it does not require additional support. At the same time, it compliments the beauty of the smartphone itself. We are of the opinion that design does influence one’s way of life, hence the emphasis on the aesthetic design. And together with the dedicated app, Oopsy is designed to provide the best user experience.”

Currently riding high on its award accolades, Infini Square is planning to launch a crowdfunding campaign for Oopsy in the near future. The crowdfunding path seems well-trodden by now, but it will help in two major regards, according to Queck: “One is to validate the market for the Oopsy smartphone breathalyzer. [And the other one is] to raise the funds to kickstart the mass production of Oopsy, which includes initial outlay of tooling and setup costs.”

If all goes well, the final version of Oopsy is expected to arrive later this year. Until then, make sure to keep those Singapore Slings in check by yourselves!