Makers Against Ebola – Proximity Alarm

Unconscious habits can kill. It’s via our mucus membranes that Ebola most often infects the body: eyes, nose, and mouth. Do you think about it before scratching your nose? Do you deliberate before adjusting your goggles? No, we all have unconscious habits which in the context of Ebola can result in deadly exposure.

To help address this risk I posted this idea at Fighting Ebloa.

This idea is to put reusable wrist bands on caregivers which will trigger a warning chirp if they get within 12 inches of their goggles where a proximity sensor with speaker will be attached. Both wristbands and goggle proximity sensor should:

– be reusable after immersion in a mild disinfectant

– run on inexpensive, long life industry-standard batteries

– have increasing rate and pitch as the distance closes

This would be a fairly easy hack but it needs to be small and elegant.

The above short description is the core of my idea submission.

It’s short and sweet but perhaps the root of a life-saving solution.

Got an idea? Take a moment. We can make a difference against Ebola.

Only nine days left for YOU to post YOUR ideas! Submissions close on 11/7.