COVID-19 Solutions: 3D Printed Key to Open Doors Without Touching

There are a lot of entrepreneurs and inventors around the world trying to come up with solutions against COVID-19.

Muthu Vellayappan from Monash University in Australia using the smart Safety Key he invented and 3D printed.

(Photo: The Quint)

There are a lot of inventors and entrepreneurs around the globe who are striving hard to come up with solutions and inventions that can help with the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.

We caught up with Muthu Vellayappan who is an Indian-origin Ph.D. candidate in Australia who invented a smart safety key that allows us to open doors and even press buttons without touching them with our hands.

Speaking to The Quint, Muthu told us that the invention is a simple 3D printed tool that took 2 hours to finish and the material cost for each tool is approximately 50 to 60 cents (Rs 30 approx).

When asked what inspired him to make something like this he said that he had seen a video online where some people were touching elevator buttons after sneezing and coughing.

Muthu’s invention is not the only one that inventors have come up with. Steve Brooks, owner of DBB Ltd, a company that manufactures office furniture in London has developed something called the Hygienehook. This is a metallic version of Muthu’s smart key and serves the same purpose.

There are other inventions like a spray-on anti-microbial coating which when applied to surfaces like plastic or textile could likely kill several kinds of viruses, possibly including the deadly coronavirus.

There is also a wristband that a start-up called ‘Slightly Robot’ has developed that alerts you by vibrating when your hand gets close to your face.

Muthu said that he is making the design and the procedure to make his smart key tool free for anyone who wants to develop it using a 3D printer.

Currently, the invention isn’t in mass production. However, a lot of countries have shown their interest in manufacturing something like this.