Indian Engineer Builds Electronic Mask That Opens With A Simple Hand Gesture

With COVID-19 taking over our world, face masks have become an indispensable part of our lives. We can¡¯t even think of stepping outside our home without one. And yes, I know that it¡¯s there to save our lives as well as the lives around us, but it is really annoying to wear it.

Reuters

Especially for someone like me who suffers from sinusitis. The nose gets all watery and itchy and it only makes us sneeze more, which when you¡¯re out in the open, subjects you to uncomfortable stares.

And another way the masks are annoying is when you have to take them out -- either while entering the ATM machine, or making someone recognise you. Using your fingers to pull the layer down sort of renders the entire premise of wearing the mask moot.

However, one engineering student -- Shivam Patil from Shri Govindram Seksaria Institute of Technology -- has developed an automated way to pull down the mask without even touching it, thus preventing the germs from entering your body.

I stumbled upon his video while reading posts on LinkedIn. The video shows his mask connected with ice cream sticks and a green light glowing to his right cheek. The moment he rests his hand on his cheek, the mask drops down, just like something you¡¯d see on an Iron Man helmet. He waves his hand again and the mask props up within a second.

Shivam Patil

The video¡¯s caption he explains the tech behind it, stating, ¡°Auto mask- Made this auto mask using Arduino , sg90 servo, and ir sensor. Due to lack of 3d printer I used ice cream sticks for design.¡± He further explains his creation in comments, ¡°As you know most people put down their mask very frequently using their hands. I made this to put down mask without hands so that germs and virus from hand don't infect the mask and reduce the chances of getting infecting virus to nose and mouth.¡±

While this is surely in prototype stage, we would definitely love to see the final product with clean aesthetics and removable filters to help us stay safe from the novel coronavirus, because it doesn't look like it¡¯s going to go anytime soon.

What do you think about this cool face mask? Tell us in the comments below.