CBRI develops a ‘low-cost’ smart face mask for construction workers.

ROORKEE: Researchers at the Central Building Research Institute (CBRI) in Roorkee have created a battery-powered smart face mask for construction workers.

The low-cost smart face mask, they claim, will keep dust out of the eyes of workers suffering from asthma, lung infections, or other pulmonary diseases. According to the researchers, the smart face mask provides users with pure air to breathe because it has multi-layer filters such as electrostatic, HEPA, and laser arrangements.

Companies such as Siemens, Philips, and LG charge a premium for smart face masks, whereas Dr Anuj Kumar Chauhan, the device’s principal inventor, claims that the CBRI-developed smart face mask is affordable to all. He expects a smart face mask to cost between Rs 700 and 1,000. “Our product is patent-protected. If our product is mass-produced, its price will fall into the three-digit range “According to Dr. Chauhan.

He explained how the mask is made up of two major parts. In the first part, a three-hole mask completely covers the mouth and nose. Two of the mask’s holes are directly across from each other, and the third is on top. The left side hole is protected by a polypropylene-based filter, and a rubber tube connects the opposite hole to an active air filtration (AAF) unit. The AAF unit includes four-stage filters, a blower, a sensor, and a battery charging circuit.

The mask can also be easily disinfected with soap, and the AAF unit’s battery can be charged using a mobile charger.