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 The pandemic has thrown a spotlight on the trade-off at times
between the comfort and safety of protective personal equipment (PPE),
especially for workers who are required to suit up in such outfits
for hours on end.
To address this problem, students were set a challenge to design a
helmet connected to a respirator that not only protects but allows
frontline workers to remain productive for longer.
The group came up with the "Vihelm", a portmanteau of Vietnam and
helmet. It has a glove box access so a wearer can fit their hand
inside and, for example, wipe sweat off their face or clean a visor
while keeping the helmet sealed.
"A big difference with this helmet is the glove box... You can use
it to interact with your face safely," said Tran Nguyen Khanh An,
14, one of the students who won a "Best Invention Design Award" at
the International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada last
month for their design.
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The futuristic looking helmet also has an internal compartment that can hold a
snack for a frontline worker and is attached by a tube to a powered
air-purifying respirator to exclude contaminated air.
While such respirators are considered significantly safer than standard masks,
they can be far more uncomfortable than other forms of PPE.
The Vihelm, which currently costs under $300 to make, even has pockets around
the head area that allow users to give the area a scratch if the device starts
rubbing in the area.
VinSmart, a unit of Vietnam's largest conglomerate Vingroup that has been
producing ventilators, has signed an agreement to help the students mass produce
their final version of the helmet.
(Writing by Ed Davies; Editing by Sam Holmes)
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