In an effort to stop the spread of SARS-CoV-2, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has cautioned people to avoid touching their faces.
Now, NASA has taken that one step further and created a wearable device to remind people to do so.
Known as the "Pulse," the wearable device will vibrate when a person's hands get too close to their face.
"PULSE is a 3D-printed wearable device that pulses, or vibrates, when a person’s hand is nearing their face," NASA writes on its website. "The haptic feedback from a vibration motor simulates a nudge, reminding the wearer to avoid touching these entryways in order to reduce potential infection."
The open-source device requires a 3-D printer, and a number of different parts and files that can be found on NASA's website.
The government agency is not making PULSE available for sale. However, NASA said it hopes "individuals or companies will replicate, refine or enhance PULSE and make it easily available for distribution." NASA isn’t selling pulse. Anyone who is interested in creating one will have to have a 3-D printer, wire, and other materials. Officials say it is a simple and affordable technology that can easily be reproduced by anyone regardless of their level of expertise. More information can be found on NASA’s website.
The PULSE is the latest open-sourced creation from NASA designed to aid against the Coronavirus pandemic. In April, the company created a ventilator for critically ill patients. The device, which costs significantly less than traditional ventilators, was granted emergency use approval by the Food and Drug Administration later that month. As of Tuesday afternoon, more than 10.36 million Coronavirus cases have been diagnosed worldwide, more than 2.6 million of which are in the U.S., the most impacted country on the planet.
(fox)
