According to the World Health Organization, 9 out of 10 people worldwide breathe air that contains high levels of pollutants, which poses a major threat to our respiratory health and our climate. Initially wanting to target the problem of air pollution in the London Underground, industrial designer Kevin Chaim, developed Airtomo, an ingenious 3D printed wearable system designed to remove air pollution from a user’s surroundings using just water vapor. Chiam’s Airtomo, with its minimal and colorful design, is a decentralized way to purify the air around us.
With biomimicry in mind, Chiam was inspired by how nature uses rain to clean the air. Mimicking this process, Airtomo releases dry, atomized water vapor through a process called aggregation in order to remove any pollutant present. Through this process, the ultra-fine mist released from the device bind harmful particles and form heavy aggregates that fall on the ground, therefore removing all particulate matter, which is the primary pollutant, from the air. Designed mainly for commuters on the go, Airtomo wearables can house about 30 to 50ml of water and its power can last for an hour, the average time a person commutes. If a user needs it for a longer period, no need to worry. Airtomo can be quickly charged using a micro-USB cable and its water can be replenished whenever needed. Airtomo is currently in its prototype phase, but Chiam has big plans for expanding his wearable system and is looking for partners to help make it a reality.
For more on wearables, check out IMBOLDN’s Best Wearables of 2021.