A four-legged robot dog called Spot will ensure people maintain safe distances while walking about Singapore parks. Reuters
A four-legged robot dog called Spot will ensure people maintain safe distances while walking about Singapore parks. Reuters
A four-legged robot dog called Spot will ensure people maintain safe distances while walking about Singapore parks. Reuters
A four-legged robot dog called Spot will ensure people maintain safe distances while walking about Singapore parks. Reuters

Inflatable face shields and a robotic dog: 6 quirky inventions to ensure social distancing


Katy Gillett
  • English
  • Arabic

They say necessity is the mother of all invention, and amid the pandemic it's been necessary for us all to practice social distancing. This new way of living has paved the way for all manner of new inventions.

From India to Singapore, engineers and designers have been busy coming up with ideas for devices that will allow us to stay safe and virus-free in a post-pandemic world.

Here are a few of the most interesting we've come across.

The robotic dog

Spot, a robotic dog created by Boston Dynamics, an American engineering and robotics design company, has been roaming around Singaporean parks, ensuring people maintain a safe distance from each other.

The National Parks Board confirmed that Spot will be patrolling a six-kilometre area of Bishan-Ang Mo Kio Park during off-peak hours, playing pre-recorded messages that remind park-users to observe social distancing measures.

The robot, which will be controlled remotely, is also fitted with cameras that will be used to estimate how many people are visiting the park. While it will eventually diminish the need for human contact, a person will accompany the dog during the testing period, it was reported.

Last month, the bot also helped healthcare workers at Brigham and Women's Hospital of Harvard University treat coronavirus patients remotely.

Inflatable face shields

Across the world, a number of designs for face shields and masks have been conceived. One of the more interesting ones comes from MARGstudio, Alessio Casciano Design and Angeletti Ruzza.

It's a brightly hued inflatable face shield that will allow people to socialise safely in restaurants and other situations, as well as take in food and drink while wearing it. It has not been designed with healthcare workers in mind, reports design website Dezeen.

It's called Soffio, which is the Italian word for "blow". It will be made from PVC with a plastic visor and elastic head strap, and the shield will be positioned away from the face so whoever is wearing it can eat or drink at the same time.

The designers say each mask could be manufactured for less than one Euro (Dh3.9) and could be handed out at bars and restaurants, and branded.

A laser project

A laser-based solution is the brainchild of Harm van Beek, research and design director for design agency The Incredible Machine, reports Spar3D.com.

They've called the tool The Social Distance Thing and it features a laser that shines at a rotating mirror and projects a circle around the wearer on the ground, marking out how far other people should stand in order to maintain a safe distance.

Its maker shared a demonstration video and detailed instructions so other people can build the device themselves, using items they probably already have at home. Materials that can be used include a laser pointer, small mirror, computer fan, electrical wire, battery pack, Lego and a PVC pipe.

Fibreglass frames

This is another idea to help people social distance in parks and was created by design studio SBGA Blengini Ghirardelli. Named C'entro, the modular frame is made from colourful fibreglass rods that would snap together to form a circle on the ground for up to two people to sit inside, reports Dezeen.

A spacer between each hoop will show other people how far they need to stay away in order to maintain a safe distance.

It's inspired by the technology of camping tents and the device, which would weigh a maximum of 500 grams, can be dismantled and carried around in a bag.

The Italian studio came up with the idea after Milan's mayor Giuseppe Sala called for people to come up with ideas on how the city can reopen after two months in lockdown.

A golf ball retriever

Entertainment facilities from cinemas to golf courses will need to ensure safe social distancing practices for the foreseeable future. This has led Cobblestone Golf Course in Georgia, US to come up with a nifty idea for retrieving golf balls from holes.

It's called the E-Z Lyft and it plucks balls right out of the hole without the need for a human to touch them and without impeding on the normal course of play, reports Golf.com.

The device, which has a patent pending, features a handle that aligns with the flagstick. It's connected to a plastic ring at the bottom of the hole. So all golfers need to do is lift the handle with their clubhead and the ball rolls out. Watch the video in the Instagram post above to see how it all works.

An alarm system

Budavarapu Sneha, a student in the Indian state of Telangana, has come up with the idea for an instrument named 'Covid-19 Alert ID Card' that will sound an alarm when anyone comes within one metre of the person wearing it, reports Telangana Today.

Sneha, a resident of Jyothinagar in Karimnagar, also designed a watch that would alert the wearer if he or she touches their own face.

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Volvo ES90 Specs

Engine: Electric single motor (96kW), twin motor (106kW) and twin motor performance (106kW)

Power: 333hp, 449hp, 680hp

Torque: 480Nm, 670Nm, 870Nm

On sale: Later in 2025 or early 2026, depending on region

Price: Exact regional pricing TBA

Hidden killer

Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.

The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.

Of those about three million are newborns and 1.2 are young children.

Patients with septic shock must often have limbs amputated if clots in their limbs prevent blood flow, causing the limbs to die.

Campaigners say the condition is often diagnosed far too late by medical professionals and that many patients wait too long to seek treatment, confusing the symptoms with flu. 

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The specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm

Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm

Transmission: 9-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh117,059

Conflict, drought, famine

Estimates of the number of deaths caused by the famine range from 400,000 to 1 million, according to a document prepared for the UK House of Lords in 2024.
It has been claimed that the policies of the Ethiopian government, which took control after deposing Emperor Haile Selassie in a military-led revolution in 1974, contributed to the scale of the famine.
Dr Miriam Bradley, senior lecturer in humanitarian studies at the University of Manchester, has argued that, by the early 1980s, “several government policies combined to cause, rather than prevent, a famine which lasted from 1983 to 1985. Mengistu’s government imposed Stalinist-model agricultural policies involving forced collectivisation and villagisation [relocation of communities into planned villages].
The West became aware of the catastrophe through a series of BBC News reports by journalist Michael Buerk in October 1984 describing a “biblical famine” and containing graphic images of thousands of people, including children, facing starvation.

Band Aid

Bob Geldof, singer with the Irish rock group The Boomtown Rats, formed Band Aid in response to the horrific images shown in the news broadcasts.
With Midge Ure of the band Ultravox, he wrote the hit charity single Do They Know it’s Christmas in December 1984, featuring a string of high-profile musicians.
Following the single’s success, the idea to stage a rock concert evolved.
Live Aid was a series of simultaneous concerts that took place at Wembley Stadium in London, John F Kennedy Stadium in Philadelphia, the US, and at various other venues across the world.
The combined event was broadcast to an estimated worldwide audience of 1.5 billion.

GAC GS8 Specs

Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo

Power: 248hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 400Nm at 1,750-4,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 9.1L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh149,900

Dhadak 2

Director: Shazia Iqbal

Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri 

Rating: 1/5

Sunday's fixtures
  • Bournemouth v Southampton, 5.30pm
  • Manchester City v West Ham United, 8pm
RESULT

Everton 2 Huddersfield Town 0
Everton: 
Sigurdsson (47'), Calvert-Lewin (73')

Man of the Match: Dominic Calvert-Lewin (Everton)

Why are asylum seekers being housed in hotels?

The number of asylum applications in the UK has reached a new record high, driven by those illegally entering the country in small boats crossing the English Channel.

A total of 111,084 people applied for asylum in the UK in the year to June 2025, the highest number for any 12-month period since current records began in 2001.

Asylum seekers and their families can be housed in temporary accommodation while their claim is assessed.

The Home Office provides the accommodation, meaning asylum seekers cannot choose where they live.

When there is not enough housing, the Home Office can move people to hotels or large sites like former military bases.

What can you do?

Document everything immediately; including dates, times, locations and witnesses

Seek professional advice from a legal expert

You can report an incident to HR or an immediate supervisor

You can use the Ministry of Human Resources and Emiratisation’s dedicated hotline

In criminal cases, you can contact the police for additional support

England v South Africa Test series:

First Test: at Lord's, England won by 211 runs

Second Test: at Trent Bridge, South Africa won by 340 runs

Third Test: at The Oval, July 27-31

Fourth Test: at Old Trafford, August 4-8

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
THE LOWDOWN

Romeo Akbar Walter

Rating: 2/5 stars
Produced by: Dharma Productions, Azure Entertainment
Directed by: Robby Grewal
Cast: John Abraham, Mouni Roy, Jackie Shroff and Sikandar Kher 

The National's picks

4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young

Specs

Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request

Lexus LX700h specs

Engine: 3.4-litre twin-turbo V6 plus supplementary electric motor

Power: 464hp at 5,200rpm

Torque: 790Nm from 2,000-3,600rpm

Transmission: 10-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 11.7L/100km

On sale: Now

Price: From Dh590,000

BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE

Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega

Director: Tim Burton

Rating: 3/5

Dust and sand storms compared

Sand storm

  • Particle size: Larger, heavier sand grains
  • Visibility: Often dramatic with thick "walls" of sand
  • Duration: Short-lived, typically localised
  • Travel distance: Limited 
  • Source: Open desert areas with strong winds

Dust storm

  • Particle size: Much finer, lightweight particles
  • Visibility: Hazy skies but less intense
  • Duration: Can linger for days
  • Travel distance: Long-range, up to thousands of kilometres
  • Source: Can be carried from distant regions
The stats

Ship name: MSC Bellissima

Ship class: Meraviglia Class

Delivery date: February 27, 2019

Gross tonnage: 171,598 GT

Passenger capacity: 5,686

Crew members: 1,536

Number of cabins: 2,217

Length: 315.3 metres

Maximum speed: 22.7 knots (42kph)

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre 6-cyl turbo

Power: 374hp at 5,500-6,500rpm

Torque: 500Nm from 1,900-5,000rpm

Transmission: 8-speed auto

Fuel consumption: 8.5L/100km

Price: from Dh285,000

On sale: from January 2022 

Dolittle

Director: Stephen Gaghan

Stars: Robert Downey Jr, Michael Sheen

One-and-a-half out of five stars

UPI facts

More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
Indian residents in UAE can use their non-resident NRO and NRE accounts held in Indian banks linked to a UAE mobile number for UPI transactions

Recent winners

2002 Giselle Khoury (Colombia)

2004 Nathalie Nasralla (France)

2005 Catherine Abboud (Oceania)

2007 Grace Bijjani  (Mexico)

2008 Carina El-Keddissi (Brazil)

2009 Sara Mansour (Brazil)

2010 Daniella Rahme (Australia)

2011 Maria Farah (Canada)

2012 Cynthia Moukarzel (Kuwait)

2013 Layla Yarak (Australia)              

2014 Lia Saad  (UAE)

2015 Cynthia Farah (Australia)

2016 Yosmely Massaad (Venezuela)

2017 Dima Safi (Ivory Coast)

2018 Rachel Younan (Australia)

The specs: 2019 Jeep Wrangler

Price, base: Dh132,000

Engine: 3.6-litre V6

Gearbox: Eight-speed automatic

Power: 285hp @ 6,400rpm

Torque: 347Nm @ 4,100rpm

Fuel economy, combined: 9.6L to 10.3L / 100km

'Dark Waters'

Directed by: Todd Haynes

Starring: Mark Ruffalo, Anne Hathaway, William Jackson Harper 

Rating: ****

COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Airev
Started: September 2023
Founder: Muhammad Khalid
Based: Abu Dhabi
Sector: Generative AI
Initial investment: Undisclosed
Investment stage: Series A
Investors: Core42
Current number of staff: 47
 
Racecard
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
CHELSEA'S NEXT FIVE GAMES

Mar 10: Norwich(A)

Mar 13: Newcastle(H)

Mar 16: Lille(A)

Mar 19: Middlesbrough(A)

Apr 2: Brentford(H)