Students Design Special Helmets For Frontline Workers To Snack, Scratch During Coronavirus Outbreak

A pair of Vietnamese students have come up with a helmet that allows frontline health workers to eat a snack or even scratch their nose without exposing themselves to the risks of the coronavirus infection.

The "Vihelm," a portmanteau of Vietnam and helmet, is the brainchild of Do Trong Minh Duc, a student at Montverde Academy in Montverde, Florida, and Tran Nguyen Khanh An, who attends Chu Van An High School in Hanoi, VNExplorer reports.

The mobile protective helmet was created based on the assignment by inventor Nguyen Dinh Nam that Duc received in late May upon his return to Vietnam over coronavirus fear.

The Vihelm has a glove box access so a wearer can fit their hand inside and, for example, wipe sweat off their face or clean a visor while keeping the helmet sealed, Reuters reports.

"A big difference with this helmet is the glove box... You can use it to interact with your face safely," said Khanh An.

The futuristic looking helmet is attached by a tube to a powered air-purifying respirator to exclude contaminated air. It also has an internal compartment that can hold a snack.

"You can have an amount of food that is enough to replenish the energy of the people who are working at the frontline," Khanh An added.

The Vihelm, which currently costs under $300 to make, even has pockets around the head area that allow users to give the area a scratch if the device starts rubbing in the area.

Khanh An and Duc are also planning to make Vihelm a smart helmet, with the capacity to connect data and serve additional needs of users.

After the Vihelm won the golden prize at the 5th International Invention Innovation Competition in Canada (iCAN 2020) and after it was displayed at the United Nation Development Program's forum, some companies from South Korea proposed to invest in manufacturing it, Sai Gon Giai Phong reports.