NASA Created A Device To Help You Stop Touching Your Face

The wearable technology vibrates every time you get too close to your face, which is an added safety measure in slowing the spread of COVID-19.

The 3D-printed PULSE created by NASA. Credit: NASA
The 3D-printed PULSE created by NASA. Credit: NASA

A team at NASA has developed new wearable technology that works to stop the sometimes unconscious, but germ-spreading, urge to touch your face.

NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab introduced PULSE to help slow the spread of COVID-19 as businesses reopen and life outside of our homes slowly resumes. The 3D-printed device is meant to be worn like a necklace and alerts wearers by pulsing or vibrating that they’re about to touch their face. The device detects motion by using an infrared proximity sensor with 12 inches of range.

The team that developed PULSE has made the technology available for free for companies’ to adapt and distribute.

“PULSE is a simple and affordable technology that can easily be reproduced by anyone regardless of their level of expertise,” the announcement read. “Until a reliable vaccine is made available, PULSE can be seamlessly integrated into our everyday life as we return to our workplace.”

NASA said the device is meant to go hand-in-hand with other safety measures including social distancing, wearing masks, and washing hands to keep everyone healthy. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that people avoid touching their nose, eyes, and mouth to prevent spreading germs. People can also contract COVID-19 by touching an infected surface and then touching the face—though infection via surface is more rare.

According to NASA, those interested can easily replicate PULSE, which it said is a low-cost way to help slow the spread of coronavirus. The team said touching your face can be a hard behavior to change, soPULSE can be a simple way to remind people to stop.

COVID-19 cases are increasing in a majority of states, according to data collected by The New York Times, which has led governors to modify their reopening plans. As of Tuesday, the U.S. surpassed more than 2.6 million cases, causing at least 126,000 deaths, according to Johns Hopkins.