Hardware Inventions During COVID-19

Back in 2008, during a significant economic downturn, hardware companies were severely impacted and took some time to recover.

However, in the midst of Covid-19 and its worldwide impact, hardware hasn’t been hit nearly as hard. Dell, Intel and Peloton are all currently trading higher than what they were on March 9^th, 2020.

A simplified process of turning innovative ideas into a reality via rapid prototyping has brought us quite far in the last 10+ years.

This indicates that the democratisation of technology has worked! A simplified process of turning innovative ideas into a reality via rapid prototyping has brought us quite far in the last 10+ years. Now, more than ever, everyone can contribute and help create new technology. Innovative technology has a place in helping all of us cope with our new normal, and technology like IoT devices and Industry 4.0 innovations are helping in the fight against Covid-19. Here are a few great examples of inventions in hardware that are helping healthcare workers, remote employees and the average person just looking to do their part in flattening the curve.

Photo by Tedward Quinn on Unsplash

Doctors, nurses and those working on the front lines in hospitals are in need of any help they can get to help them win the fight against Covid-19. Fortunately a number of inventors have stepped up to help where possible. As an example, the Covid-19 Box project started in Toronto by volunteers that include healthcare professionals. Their product helps with the intubation process, which is quite invasive. By placing a small, clear polycarbonate box over the patient’s mouth, the box serves as an extra layer of protection, preventing the spread of the virus from an infected patient to the doctors and nurses attempting to help keep the patient’s airway open. With enough fundraising, this innovative idea could even improve, by offering digital readouts of patient vitals, providing feedback on the intubation process and allowing doctors and nurses to keep their eyes on the patient instead of looking away to read other machines. This type of rapid prototyping is literally saving lives and helping those who most need protection.

As more people are being asked not only to keep their hands clean, but also to wear masks in public, it could cause a significant amount of waste.

There are other highly innovative inventions currently in their fundraising stage, which are looking to help prevent the spread of Covid-19 and flatten the curve. As more people are being asked not only to keep their hands clean, but also to wear masks in public, it could cause a significant amount of waste. This brings us to the SqueezyBand and the Simple Personal Protection System (SPPS). Both of these items will help stop the spread of Covid-19, however, with a bit of extra technology, they could be even more useful! Perhaps a prototype of the SqueezyBand could also include an electronic device to give analytical data about how many times it was used, or monitor the wearers heart rate, encouraging the wearer to stay active. This can be extremely difficult while self-isolating, so the reminder would be beneficial. For the SPPS, uploading anonymous data on the air it has cleaned and the level of protection it provided could help monitor air quality around the world, showing its value and providing valuable feedback to health organisations. With just a bit of extra innovation, these two items could become IoT devices, serving the wearer and their community even more than they’re already designed to.

Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash

While everyone is practicing social distancing, there is a common theme that is helping to identify how Covid-19 is spreading: temperatures. It has been proposed that retail stores and other mass gathering premisses begin taking customers’ temperatures now, and even after social distancing is lifted to ensure everyone is staying safe and healthy. Thanks to Tony Tempa, a contactless thermometer, the IoT and open data may have a part to play. Tony Tempa has already exceeded its funding goal, as investors have found its innovative ideas exciting. In short, when a temperature is taken, anonymous data is uploaded to a global database which can help both prevent and predict future pandemics like Covid-19. Big data analytics would be able to analyse this data and spot trends in temperatures based on geolocation information. For personal use, the data can be tracked via an app so families can also ensure everyone in the house is staying as healthy as possible.

We will ensure your ideas can be streamlined and the innovation, rapid prototyping, and testing of hardware is as simple as possible.

Covid-19 has had devastating effects on communities around the world, but the democratization of the hardware space is showing that, not only can we get through this, but we can also learn more about how we can help through new and innovative hardware. At LastBasic, we’ll ensure your ideas can be streamlined and the innovation, rapid prototyping, and testing of hardware is as simple as possible. We’re all in this together. If you think there’s an innovative idea that you want to convert into a functional hardware prototype, in the midst of this crisis, don’t hesitate to take action!

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Stay safe, stay at home.