Mar. 30, 2015 | By Alec
Are you one of those people who hates flushing the toilet in public restrooms? Is turning off a facet in a public toilet an ordeal? Who awkwardly opens doors with their feet or backside to avoid the handle? Does ‘you don’t know where that’s been’ stop you from touching something entirely? If those situations sound familiar, then the Germavoid – which is currently halfway through its Kickstarter campaign – might be perfect for you.
Now I must confess that I’m something of a germaphobe myself, meaning statistics such as ‘four out of five infectious diseases are spread by hands’ and ‘up to 25% of people’s hands have fecal matter on them’ freak me out. Anti-bacterial soap and hand sanitizer are thus a must for me, and it the Germavoid might be too. Invented by a Utah-based landscaper and fellow germaphobe Zach Friedli, this clever device could be just what germaphobes and other sensible people need. It is, in a nutshell, a 3D printed device that will allow you to touch any of the gross surfaces you normally avoid, without needing to wash your hands afterwards.
As Zach explains on his Kickstarter page, the Clean Touch Germavoid is basically a handheld tool 3D printed in ABS plastic that can be added to your keychain. ‘Simply slide out the elastic germ guard, insert your finger, and you’re ready to grad door handles, touch toilets and touch buttons on elevators, ATMs, soda machines and drinking fountains. Or even tap and sign on public touch screens, all the while keeping your hands flu and faeces free,’ he explains.
Watch Zach talk about his interesting product here.
The germ guard can subsequently be closed again, ensuring that you never have to come into contact with those bacteria. ‘The contaminated side of the germ guard is always concealed inside the protective case except when it is actually in use. The only side that remains exposed is the CLEAN side where your finger is inserted. Before and after use, the side that makes contact with germs is concealed in its’ protective case to prevent any contact with anything else between uses,’ Zach writes.
This clever device grew out of Zach’s own experiences with germs. ‘I never considered myself a Germaphobe but touching certain public surfaces definitely grossed me out. I got by the best I could with using my foot to flush and my pinky to pull,’ Zach explains. One night, while talking with a group of friends, I realized I wasn’t alone. They too were foot flushers and pinky pullers. This got my mind racing, and I was determined to find a better solution.’ And additional problem, and something I didn’t want to know at all, is that hand sanitizers don’t actually kill 99.9% of germs, Zach adds. The true percentage is more in the range of 45-60%, making the Germavoid even more functional.
Since that time, the father of two has been developing the Germavoid in his spare time, finally settling on a design with an one inch wide finger glove. ‘The average width of an adult index finger is between .62 and .78 inches. This measurement is considering both men AND women. The opening on the Clean Touch is right at 1” so it will EASILY fit the majority of the population,’ he explains. ‘Whether you want to avoid getting sick or just simply grossed out by touching hundreds of strangers left behind germs, the Clean Touch is perfect for you!’
Previous iterations included a retractable hook and even the top of a clothes hanger covered in tape, but the crux of the project revolved around never having to come into contact with those germs. A glove that can be stored and retrieved from a 3D printed container has turned out to be perfect. The 3D printed portion of the project has been realized with the help of WhiteClouds Inc., a Utah-based 3D printing and design service. WhiteClouds produced the device on a Stratasys Connex 500 multi-material 3D printer.
While that prototype looks great, Zach has since launched a Kickstarter crowdfunding campaign to finance the final product development of the Clean Touch Germavoid. ‘In order to test different production material strength and function, we need to create silicone molds. It will be a game of trial and error to find a material and thickness that offers enough elasticity to stretch, yet enough restoring force to retract back in. This will most likely take a few different molds, multiple thicknesses, and several materials to get the combination just right,’ Zach writes.
To finance that, as well as 3D printing production, Zach hopes that his Germavoid can raise at least $50,000 on Kickstarter by 16 April. That quite large sum might be difficult to reach, as the Germavoid kickstarter has only managed to gather about $18,000 in pledges so far, with just another 17 days to go. Its therefore imperative for germaphobes everywhere to pledge their support to this 3D printed solution to all our problems. A pledge of $15 is enough to get your hands on a special discount Germavoid, so be sure to check out this Kickstarter campaign as soon as possible. If successful, shipping is scheduled to begin in September 2015.
Posted in 3D Printing Applications
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I could see this being a great device for use by people who have OCD that manifests as germophobia. I know a few people with cleanliness related compulsions and it can be debilitating when something triggers their OCD. I could see a product like this giving these people a way to take control back from their OCD and live a more normal life.
Faktuu wrote at 4/1/2015 12:32:30 PM:
like it was said by profesor Farnsworth in Futurama "I dont want to live on this planet anymore"
Risc wrote at 3/30/2015 8:35:56 PM:
Exagerate ! :) Our immune defenses need to be trained all days for the entire life... even some time it's very hard to touch some things.
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