The smart helmet invented by secondary school students

Realizing the danger electricians face, Nguyen Ngoc Bao Quynh and Tran Thi Thanh Nhan, two students of To Huu School in Thua Thien – Hue, invented a safe distance alerting helmet. 

Occupational accidents are a thorny issue in power sector and related industries such as telecommunications and cable television. In most cases, accidents occur when workers climb poles and have direct contact with the wires running electric current.

There are several types of protection helmets available in the market for electricians and workers in related industries. However, the main function of the helmets is just preventing electrical wires from touching the heads of users.

There is also a magnetic field electricity detector in the market which can be used to discover the magnetic field of alternating current. However, the product doesn’t have a loudspeaker which alerts the safe distance. 

It cannot be put on the head to give early warning about safe distance. Besides, it is too expensive (the cheapest product is priced at VND3 million).

The helmet invented by Quynh and Nhan has both the function of protection and the feature of giving a warning about electrical safety distance, thereby ensuring safety for users.

The two students began working on the helmet in May 2016 and finished the work half a year later. They drew an electromagnetic induction circuit board, designed and installed electromagnetic circuits, completed the product structure and then tested the product. 

Quynh said the production cost of the helmet is low because they used scrap materials, including the electric circuits of CRT TV and protective helmets.

The operation principle of the helmet is simple. When the helmet moves to a place which is at a certain distance from magnetic field with alternating current, the loudspeaker attached to the helmet will give a warning

The testing of the helmet showed encouraging result. Under home conditions (220V), the helmet began giving alarm at the distance of 30 cm. When leaving the product outdoors near 220V grid, the loudspeaker began giving a warning at the distance of 50 cm. 

Quynh said that the helmet of this kind is still not common in the market.

“We designed and installed electromagnetic field sensors in the helmet, so the ability to prevent electrical accidents very high,” she said.

Nguyen Dac Luc, headmaster of To Huu School, believes there is no similar product available in the market, and that the the smart helmet invented by the two students can be developed for commercial purposes because it is useful and the demand for protective products is high.

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