A DEVICE TO WARN AGAINST HANDSHAKES, TOUCHING FACES
Health authorities have recommended various measures to keep coronavirus from spreading. They’ve discouraged people from shaking hands with others or touching their own faces.
But habits are hard to break. That’s why Budhavarapu Sneha, an engineering student in Telangana, has developed a device to warn people about these temporarily “bad habits.”
The device is worn like a watch and consists of a 3-volt battery, sensor, buzzer and rubber band, according to an IANS report.
“Whenever you move your hand to touch any part of your face, the device beeps to warn you,” said Sneha, a first-year B.Sc. (electronics) student. “If your hands are sanitized, you can ignore the beep. Otherwise, you will realize that you need to wash your hands.”
If it is developed commercially, the device could be sold for 350 rupees.
“As we don’t have a vaccine or drug for Covid-19 yet, prevention is the only option available to us,” Sneha told IANS. “Since avoiding a handshake and touching the face are identified as common habits which could lead to infection, I have made this device.”
She plans to work on another device that could be useful during the pandemic. It would beep whenever another person comes close to you, violating social distancing guidelines.
If her devices become popular, you may hear lots of beeps in India—and not just on the busy roads.
Compiled and partly written by Indian humorist MELVIN DURAI, author of the novel Bala Takes the Plunge.
[Comments? Contributions? We would love to hear from you about Chai Time. If you have contributions, please email us at melvin@melvindurai.com. We welcome jokes, quotes, online clips, and more.]
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