From NASA to Covid-19 Social-Distancing Gadget?

A wearable device is helping people maintain safe social distances during the coronavirus pandemic. Proximity Pal is created by Joel Kuperholz and Vignesh Murugan in Melbourne, Australia.

Joel’s background is in engineering and Vignesh’s in astrophysics. Together, they co-founded Vimana Tech.

“Proximity Pal came about after we received a distress call from a member at an organization quite fearful that they were gonna have to shut down the company during Covid-19,” says Joel. “More than that, they were scared that they weren’t gonna be able to keep their staff safe.”

The device warns people with a red flashing light, vibration motor and buzzer when they are 1.5 meters apart.

“Never once did I imagine creating a business with someone actually, I actually was going to do a PhD in astrophysics,” says Vignesh.

“We co-founded a team to build the first semi-autonomous Mars rover, to assist the first astronauts to go to Mars, and the two of us, along with the rest of the team, went over to Utah to compete at a NASA facility there,” explains Joel.

“We decided to kick into gear to create a device that required no infrastructure throughout the business, but a standalone unit that would do nothing else than keep people safe and employed.”

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In This Story: COVID-19

Covid-19 is the official WHO name given to the novel coronavirus which broke out in late 2019 and began to spread in the early months of 2020.

Symptoms of coronavirus

The main symptoms of coronavirus are:

  • a persistent new cough (non productive, dry)
  • a high temperature (e.g. head feels warm to the touch)
  • shortness of breath (if this is abnormal for the individual, or increased)

Latest News about Covid-19

Below are stories from around the globe related to the 2020 outbreak of novel Coronavirus – since the WHO gave the Covid-19 naming. Most recent items are posted nearest the top.

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In This Story: NASA

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is an independent agency of the U.S. Federal Government responsible for the civilian space program, as well as aeronautics and space research. NASA was established in 1958, succeeding the National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics.

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In This Story: Utah

Utah is a state in the western United States.

The territory of modern Utah has been inhabited by various indigenous groups for thousands of years, including the ancient Puebloans, the Navajo, and the Ute. The Spanish were the first Europeans to arrive in the mid-16th century, though the region’s difficult geography and climate made it a peripheral part of New Spain and later Mexico.

Disputes between the dominant Mormon community and the federal government delayed Utah’s admission as a state; only after the outlawing of polygamy was it admitted as the 45th, in 1896.

A little more than half of all Utahns are Mormons, the vast majority of whom are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), which has its world headquarters in Salt Lake City. Utah is the only state where most of the population belongs to a single church. The LDS Church greatly influences Utahn culture, politics, and daily life, though since the 1990s the state has become more religiously diverse as well as secular.

The state has a highly diversified economy, with major sectors including transportation, education, information technology and research, government services, and mining and a major tourist destination for outdoor recreation.

A 2012 Gallup national survey found Utah overall to be the “best state to live in the future” based on 13 forward-looking measurements including various economic, lifestyle, and health-related outlook metrics.

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