When the Coronavirus outbreak had begun its global takeover, experts have been trying to deliver precautionary measures out to the public. One of the leading advice given is to avoid touching your face, eyes, nose and mouth to avoid germs and potentially the virus from entering the body. A team of entrepreneurs in Seattle have come up with a small but effective solution regarding this.
They have created a device that will vibrate if you touch your face
Justin Ith, Matthew and Joseph Toles, the founders of their company Slightly Robot, have been working for three years to develop this bracelet called Immutouch which can aid and guide users to be more cautious amid coronavirus. The team had developed this wearable solution wherein it automatically vibrates whenever you touch your eyes, nose and mouth or any part of your face. Helping to keep bad habits from turning into a serious health issue.
The device is designed for those who have compulsive behavior
People tend to keep touching their faces on an average of 23 times every hour. Skin picking, hair pulling and fingernail biting are among the list of some of the bad habits that we all usually do without even noticing it. Germs, bacteria and the virus can travel from doorknobs, handles, tables, kitchenware, etc., and while the Coronavirus is out wreaking havoc in the planet, we all need to fight the urge to touch our faces. Immutouch was created and launched in the span of seven days to try and catch up with the widespread and urgently help users as much as they can in this time of need.
With a built-in gravimeter, the device can be calibrated to a smartphone and can track both the user's movements and sensitivity, which can then lead to the device vibrating whenever the hand touches a certain spot on the face. The bands can still continue to function without a Bluetooth connection or their smartphones and it stores records as well for users to track.
Founder Matthew Toles had stated in a news interview that the three of them happened to be well equipped to deal with this one task and felt like it was their responsibility to help.
Immutouch's parts and materials have been sourced from all around the world and the devices cost $49.99. The team has a total breakdown of the materials used and their costs on their website.
According to Ith, "We're not looking to make money, we are selling each unit nearly at cost, accounting for cost of materials, fabrication, assembly, and handling. We are a small team with limited upfront capital so we have to order components in small batches. Our hope is that as more people show reception to the idea, we can order larger quantities, reduce the price, and make it more accessible."
Immutouch is now available on iOS and Android devices.
