CHENNAI: Just as desperate times call for desperate measures, so do unprecedented times call for little acts of creative empathy. And the spotlight for this week’s act of kindness falls on 19-year-old Chennai resident, Tejas Gopalan. Pursuing an undergraduate degree in Product Design at National Institute of Design, Ahmedabad, the second-year student has been back home in Chennai since the country went into lockdown. Soon after his return, the design wheels in his head got a jolt back to life upon noticing his father, Anush Gopalan, come down with a behind-the-ear infection due to the tight masks he’d been wearing to work. A bit of research and a few product sketches later, the first prototype of his ear protector came to life by the end of April.
Aiming for universal applicability with his product, Tejas’ design is not only compatible with face masks but with face shields as well. Removing the mask’s contact with the ear itself, not only does it relieve behind-the-ear stress but makes it adjustable for all head sizes as well. “When I began designing the ear protector, I wanted to keep it simple and helpful for the doctors and healthcare workers who wear N95 masks for hours on end,” says Tejas. “Now that I’m home, I also have a wide variety of different head shapes in my family to test the adjustability of the design on,” he adds on a lighter note.
Attributing the finesse of the final product to his manufacturer, Chinmay Rathi of Precious3D, the duo created the mould just as quick as the design process. “Chinmay was on board for the project as soon as I reached out to him, and with the mould ready, they’ve been able to churn out 10,000 pieces at `10 each for my first order from Kauvery Hospital, Alwarpet,” he elaborates. Settling on 100% High-density polyethylene (HDPE) plastic as the material for the strip — the plastic also used for milk cartons — its flexibility and ability to hold form makes it suitable for the job of cupping the head. But Tejas isn’t content just yet and is keen on tweaking the material furthermore to ensure full environmental sustainability and make it recyclable.
With the word out on the product’s ease of use, more hospitals and distributors have also reached out, with Tejas already working with MIOT, Apollo Spectra, and Chettinad Hospitals, and in talks with many more, under his father’s company — Hetrogenous Communications. But on conversation with the young designer, it’s quite clear that at the heart of this whirlwind of research and design is the simple need to be of help. “In the end, really, is the fact that I want to encourage more people to wear masks. I’m working to ensure that they’re available to the general public as well as for the healthcare workers,” says Tejas.
Tejas is looking forward to getting back to university; till then, it’s fair to say that he’s kept himself plentiful busy. What more, he’s made his design open-patent so other young minds can jump on and take it forward as well. In the meantime, it’s back to the design table for Tejas. Contactless handles for doors? Well, we’re just going to have to wait and see.