During this pandemic, there has been a lot to take care of to safeguard yourself from being infected. You have to wear a mask, wash your hands properly and for a longer-than-normal period of time, maintain physical distance with other humans, regularly clean surfaces that might be contaminated, and more.

We have also had to do away with some of our old habits. One such habit is the tendency to keep touching your face from time to time. It is only natural and we do it for a number of reasons.

However, it can be one of the prime reasons why people get infected. When you touch a contaminated surface and then touch your nose, mouth, or eyes, you allow the virus to enter your body.

So, it is important for everyone to pay heed to this. However, it is really difficult. Most times, we don't even realize that we are doing it. And that is why the good folks at NASA have invented a wearable called Pulse, that helps us change this habit.

Wearable That Stops You

It was NASA's Jet Propulsion Lab that actually invented the wearable and from the looks of it, it might have been really easy. The device is basically a pendant that you wear around your neck.

It has an infrared proximity sensor, a coin-sized vibration motor, and a small battery. That's it. That's why I said it must have been easy for them to invent as they literally deal in rocket science.

Anyways, when you bring your hands close to your face, the device detects this and triggers the motor to vibrate. The vibration feels like a nudge, the same way your Apple Watch might nudge you on your wrist. Doing so, Pulse reminds you that you are about to touch your face and that you shouldn't do it.

NASA doesn't plan on selling the device. Instead, it has open-sourced the project so that anybody can manufacture and use the device. What's more, the case is 3D printed so it will be easier. Efforts like these might ultimately help save thousands of lives.


Image Credits: JPL