A face shield is a protective gear with a transparent visor attached to a headband

CoE – Additive Manufacturing (CMRIT) has fabricated a low-cost face shield costing only ₹30 to protect frontline medical personnel from contracting COVID-19 while treating patients.

Professor Dr, Sagar M Baligidad and Mr Anjan Kumar N, In-charges, said the face shields, to be worn over regular masks, are meant to protect these frontline staffers from catching any kind of infection while handling crowds or coronavirus patients. These face shields have to be made rapidly and at low cost because they need to be disposable. Our technique combines low-cost materials with a high-rate manufacturing that has the potential of meeting the need for face shields nationwide.

Face shield is developed by 'Stopdrop', using readily available inexpensive materials and is fabricated by a group of five students and staffers of the CMRIT at its technical facility named ‘MAKERSPACE’, which encourages innovations and experiments by the students.

Priced at Rs. 30 each face shield is made of using MDF, OHP sheet, plastic tube and elastic bands which are economically low. We have used laser cutting and CNC router machines to make MDF frame and OHP sheets to act as protective film cover over the frame. So far, we have distributed 300 face shields to the bangalore police.

To address the low representation of students with visual impairments in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields, the issue of making scientific images and concepts accessible is receiving increasing attention. This project seeks to support visual impared work in this field through (1) conducting literature and interview-based research to assess the need for 3D-printed teaching aids and existing solutions in this arena, and (2) designing and printing novel 3D objects that can serve as learning aids for high school students with visual impairments studying STEM. Interviews with teachers, students, academics, and other professionals revealed a need for 3D models that depict math graphs, algebraic equations, chemical reactions, anatomy, and biological processes, as well as limitations of tactile graphics. Based on insights from our research and further brainstorming, we designed and printed a set of original 3D objects modeling the central dogma of biology: transcription of DNA to RNA, and translation of RNA to a protein. Such a learning tool will allow students with visual impairments to better understand this fundamental biological process, and this first-hand experience with designing and printing 3D educational aids also shed insight on the feasibility of replicating this process in future classrooms.