Smart PPE face masks to monitor correct fit and health

The team at Northwestern University has received a $200,000 rapid research (RAPID) grant from the US National Science Foundation (NSF), which is funding proposals that address the COVID-19 pandemic.

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By using sensors such as accelerometers and motion and strain sensors, the device will be able to tell if the mask is too loose or improperly suctioned onto the face. It will be able to sense also if the mask wearer is fatigued or having difficulty breathing.

“We want to make these sensors small enough and cheap enough to be used on every single piece of PPE in the country, numbering tens of billions,” said project leader Josiah Hester, an assistant professor of electrical and computer engineering in Northwestern’s McCormick School of Engineering. “Because time is of the essence, we are doing our best to use what we already have. We are leveraging techniques that are built on solid literature in sensing. We do not want to re-invent the wheel.”