AmpUp! Personal Protective Equipment

In an effort to curb the spread of COVID-19, many governments have implemented social distancing, quarantine, and contact tracing measures to various degrees. Alongside with those policies, the authority has also recommended or mandated the use of face coverings, a subcategory of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). For many countries and regions, these measures have proven success in reducing the number of new confirmed cases. However, for others, these measures have not yielded the desired results.

However, interpersonal communication is a major limitation of such measures. Due to the increased distance between individuals and the physical sound barrier of a face covering, verbal communication becomes less effective. For many jobs that rely heavily on verbal communications, for example salespeople, teachers, or psychotherapists, this barrier to verbal communications can reduce their efficiency and productivity.

Additionally, many PPE available to the public still present some issues. During the early stage of the pandemic, many researchers, engineers, designers, and hobbyists have been developing a myriad of masks and respirators to help alleviate the shortage of masks. However, these new designs, as well as the designs on the market, face the issues of loose fit, ineffective filtering, high cost of production, and more.
Understanding the current limitations, our project goal is to develop an affordable mask that effectively filters particles, fits tightly yet comfortably, and does not hinder verbal communications.

To understand the needs for such product, our group designed a survey in order to help identify problems associated with wearing a mask in order to focus on a topic for research and the design project. Questions were about demographics, mask usage, challenges or issues, motivation, and suggestions for design improvements. The survey was distributed and our group collected 76 responses.

Based on the responses, it was found that notable challenges with face coverings are breathability, comfort, fit, and human interaction. Most people use cloth masks and express discomfort wearing them. The concern with this is that if the mask does not have a snug fit around the nose and face, it leads to air escaping from the mask, increasing potential exposure, and fogging glasses. Also, securement straps around the ears can lead to chafing and further discomfort after prolonged use. Other user needs that were identified include the ability to see facial expressions, padding for extra comfort, conformity to face shape to increase accessibility and effectiveness, amplification of your voice, and an air pocket to allow for breathing room.


Project Presentation: