Most humans living on Earth have experienced the dramatic turn of events that the year 2020 brought. We all have been affected somehow by the Covid-19 pandemic. We are 3 months away from the end of the year 2020, and no definitive solution has been offered yet to eradicate the virus, so it makes sense that we try to detect it sooner to contain the spread. That is what engineers of the University of Florida are attempting to do by creating new wearable devices that will help us maintain a safe distance or detect the virus to avoid infection.
Figure 1: A member of the research team testing the smart mask. (Image credit: University of Florida)
Students and professor of the University of Florida put their minds together to invent a wristband that alerts the bearer when he or she is not applying social distancing, a wearable that detects Covid-19 before symptoms appear and a mask that can purify the air around the person wearing it. Although the devices are not ready to be marketed yet, they are very promising. The face mask, which they named “ADAPT smart mask,” was the idea of a team of researchers including Dr. Swarup Bhunia, who is the director of the Nelm’s Institute of the University of Florida. ADAPT smart mask is a face mask that not only offers protection but is also equipped with sensors that detect droplets containing the virus. Once the virus is detected, the smart mask also releases a water mist that attaches to the virus and makes it fall to the ground. This smart mask could be the solution to resuming on-campus classes, work; and might even be useful for workers exposed to a great deal of pollution.
Figure 2 & 3: Trident smart band prototype (left), the associated app in a demo on the phone (right) (Image credit: University of Florida)
Another researcher in the Florida team, Dr. Soumyajit Mandal, turned to machine learning to monitor the body’s temperature, which we know can be one of the infection symptoms. With his team, Dr. Mandal will be developing the TRIDENT smart band, a wristband that uses machine learning combined with sensors to analyze activities and the ambient temperature while measuring the body’s temperature. The sensors are connected to an app, read the temperature through the radial artery and alert the user in case of fever in the app. The goal of the smart band is to eliminate factors that can prevent an accurate reading of the bearer’s temperature and lead to the misdiagnosis of people. This technology can reduce the lines at testing sites, help clear workers so that they get back to work, or simply allow at-home monitoring.
Figure 4: demo of the RiskBand being tested. (Image credit: University of Florida)
Engineers at the University of Florida also thought of the little ones and how to help them maintain social distance. Without an adult supervising them, kids could use a device that will tell them when they are too close to another person. The RiskBand, as they name the device, will utilize a type of Bluetooth which can measure the intensity of the signal from another RiskBand and convert it into distance. When kids get too close to one another, the band will alert them by vibrating and flashing light. Even the adults who do not have a sense of distance could benefit from using such a technology. But the data collected by the band will be useful only if every person the child comes across is also using a RiskBand.
The University of Florida is not the only institution where scientists are developing wearable technologies. However, despite the numerous options that will be available in the near future, the main concern with those devices is their price tags. The price range being considered so far is between $50 and $400, which might make it difficult for the average person to afford them. Then again, if we can afford an Apple watch, we should be able to afford a device that will save our lives.
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