The COVID-19 pandemic continues to affect our world, and that means we still need to make sure we don’t touch our faces, wear masks, or wash our hands. We don’t even realize that we touch our faces up to 2000 times a day, which is fundamental behavior for our species to calm down according to psychologists. Changing habits is difficult enough, and changing inherent habits as we adapt to bigger changes in life may sound almost impossible. So NASA has designed Pulse, a DIY portable necklace that alerts you when you’re about to touch your face.
NASA is not selling these directly, but the Jet Propulsion Laboratory has made the 3D printed concept available as an open source project for anyone to make this device portable for their own health and safety. It works on a simple mechanism: the collar has a sensor that detects when the user raises her hands towards her face and will vibrate to warn them using the energy of a common button battery. This vibration is a reminder that the user does not touch the face and soon establishes the muscle memory necessary to turn this into a new pattern of behavior. All the necessary STL files, the parts list you will need and the assembly instructions have been made available to anyone to do. In addition to the 3D printer and having the knowledge of basic electrical DIY skills, all components are easy to obtain and if you want to learn YouTube is always there as a resource.
This is not a 100% prevention, but an aid that goes along with masks, disinfectants, regular hand washing and staying home to minimize the possibility of contracting the virus as low as possible. Wear masks when you go out to the public for essential errands or even a walk, and try using reusable cloth masks so that healthcare professionals and front-line workers can get priority for disposable PPE that is still in short supply. As Batman said, “I don’t wear a mask to protect myself, I wear it to protect those around me.”
Designers: NASA and Jet Propulsion Laboratory
