Why are Eco-friendly Face Shields getting popular. Are they more safe? Demands answer this.

This is yet again another story of India's youth who used his genius in contributing to the fight against COVID-19. When coronavirus started to attack even through the air, masks have become mandatory. Not one, but health experts have been suggesting to wear double masks. Face shields also have become quite prominent. However, we are very well aware of the harmful effects on the environment posed by face shields and the PPE kits. Also, there is a shortage of PPE kits across the globe which triggered the thought process of a third year engineering student from Andhra Pradesh, India. The young man decided to do his part in this regard and came up with his solution. His product received copyright as well and is also being distributed among police personnel and frontline workers.

An Empathetic Eye Coupled With A Genius Mind:

P. Mohan Aditya hails from Andhra Pradesh and studies at SRM University in AP. He is a third-year Mechanical Engineering student and is always involved in thinking about how his theoritical knowledge can come to serve in solving real-time concerns. Aditya observed that extensive use of PPE kits and other protective gear is on the by-lines leading to environmental degradation. In a process of protecting ourselves, if the environment is ignored, Aditya felt that it surely leads to other major catastrophes. Thus, he thought, protecting the environment is also significant along with protecting ourselves. He thus decided to develop environment friendly alternatives to the existing protective gear. In this process, he first looked at designing the face shields that are being used widely by everyone across the globe. Another reason for Aditya to choose to develop alternatives for face shields is the news of their shortage in supply globally. "After discovering a shortage in the supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) globally, an idea struck my mind. Immediately I started researching on developing a piece of standard equipment to combat the Covid-19 pandemic", said the engineering student.

The Advanced Version:

Aditya's research germinated into a product that goes in-line with the environment offering protection to the humans at the same time. He built a face shield from bio-degradable substances and designed it as an advanced version of ordinary face shields. He called it "Facial Shield 2.0" and the name perfectly goes with its features which are miles ahead as compared to those of the traditional face shields. He used bio-degradable materials like thin reusable plastic and cardboard to develop the face shield. Aditya's face shield comes with a transparent visor made of a thin layer of 175-micron reusable plastic and a highly durable headband made from 3 plies corrugated cardboard. The cardboard’s bursting strength is 16kg/sq.cm, which is quite durable yet light in weight. As Aditya used the re-usable and biodegradable materials, the face shield came up at an affordable price. One piece costs just Rs.15. This face shield is made to be adjustable to suit all head sizes with its firm and easy-to-wear elastic. The face shield effectively provides enough coverage to the mucous membranes like the nose, eyes and mouth. The transparent visor of the face shield was designed using the CAD software while the rest of the headband was designed using the CNC machine. The CAD model was given as the input to the CNC machine which further analysed and cut the cardboard and transparent sheet accordingly. Aditya applied for the copyright on his face shield under the IPR (Intellectual Property Rights) with Indian Patent Office located in Kolkata, India on 16th May 2020. He was granted a copyright for the "Face Shield for Humans” with a Design Application Number of 329364 – 001 in 2021.

The Moment Of Pride:

The  Educational Minister for the state of Andhra Pradesh, Shri Adimulapu Suresh congratulated and appreciated Aditya's efforts in the Secretariat. The face shields were also distributed among state police officers, paramedics, and other frontline workers deployed in the containment area. The team of SRM University, AP; Dr P Sathyanarayanan, President, Prof V S Rao, Vice-Chancellor, and Prof D Narayana Rao, Pro Vice-Chancellor celebrated Aditya’s proud invention and congratulated him on inventing something using new technology catering to everyone in the current scenario.

Not Just The Frist One:

Aditya has got other inventions also to his credit. He applied for a copyright on his other innovation “building block for bed” which involves making beds using reusable materials for COVID-19 patients. Along, along with his team has also created an electric bicycle using a 24V 250Watt DC motor powered by a 12V and 12Ah battery as a part of the previous team assignment. Aditya extends his gratitude to everyone who stood by him in completing his projects. Especially when it comes to making a face shield, he mentioned the support he received from the attorney of SRM-AP.

I am thankful to Mr Ravi, attorney of SRM-AP who supported me throughout the tough times by answering all doubts amidst challenging circumstances, he stated.

Aditya, who wishes to become a successful engineer in future wants to create many such designs for the betterment of society.