Normally people have the habit of touching their face, hair, or nose consistently while they are active. But due to the mutating virus, it became important to refrain from touching these parts of our faces. The doctors and medical researchers have clearly advised that virus transmission is possible through various surfaces. Thus, it is necessary that we refrain from touching our faces. This is because the virus travels through doorknobs and other surfaces, to our mucus membranes and gets us sick.

A Seattle-based tech company, Slightly Robot has come up with a new solution to this problem with an innovation called ‘Immutouch’. It is a wearable wristband that vibrates when the user tends to touch his face. It has an inbuilt accelerometer that detects hand movement by 10 times per second. There is an aligning app also, which keeps the track of everything thereby helping you in reducing the touch. Its calibrations are used to interpret data from the gravity sensors, then it buzzes as soon as you are about to touch your face or hair.

The mouth, face, and nose are all pivotal points from where the coronavirus can enter the body. The sensors used in this device are used to prevent the habit of unintentionally touching the face, or nail-biting, etc. One of the major advantages of this device is the development of the Pavlovian response. When the user is stimulated by a buzzing sensation every time he tends to touch his face, he will avoid doing so. The brain gets habitual of the buzzing sensation and thus, trains you to ignore the desire of touching your face.

A study on using a wearable stimulating device to deter themselves from touching surfaces or victims of trichotillomania has recommended Immutouch.

The developers of the device at Slightly Robot used small funds from the University of Washington in 2016 and are selling it at the cost of materials, fabrication, assembly, and handling. Their ultimate aim is to do their bit in saving the world from the deadly virus.

Everyone has their part to do in this pandemic situation. It could be big or small. Thus, there is no problem in dedicating the efforts to anything that is for the welfare of society.

Also read: COVID-19 Delta Variant