New Technologies Created in 2020 to Fight COVID-19
2020-12-31
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1The COVID-19 pandemic affected many industries across the world in 2020.
2Many companies faced severe economic difficulties related to the worldwide spread of the new coronavirus.
3But, some were able to develop new technologies to help fight the disease in an effort to improve people's lives.
4One of the first companies we reported on related to the pandemic developed a 3D printer to quickly produce oxygen valves to treat COVID-19 patients.
5The new Italian company Isinnova found a way to use its 3D printing equipment to copy the medical devices.
6Valves are used to connect oxygen to patients suffering from breathing problems.
7The company produced the life-saving equipment for free after it learned many Italian hospitals faced a serious shortage of valves.
8The CodeTheCurve 'hackathon' for young people led to several possible new ways to deal with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus.
9The event's organizers included the United Nations, American technology company IBM and European software business SAP.
10One of the winning teams created a system that uses machine learning and picture technology to examine chest X-rays to identify the most severe COVID-19 patients.
11Another team developed an app that uses virtual reality to let users explore different places around the world while exercising from home.
12Several companies studied the effectiveness of wearable devices to identify early signs of COVID-19.
13Researchers at America's West Virginia University reported in May a device they tested was able to identify COVID-19 signs up to three days before people started to experience them.
14Another research project, carried out by the California-based Scripps Research Institute, examined data from devices worn by more than 30,000 volunteers.
15Researchers said their early results showed the devices could successfully identify people who had no signs of COVID-19 but were still infectious.
16A Japanese company created a "smart" mask that aims to improve communication for people wearing face coverings.
17Donut Robotics calls its invention the "c-mask."
18It is meant to fit over other kinds of face masks commonly worn by the public.
19The mask is made of soft plastic material and contains a built-in microphone.
20When it is turned on, the mask uses Bluetooth technology to connect to a mobile device.
21An app then helps users perform several actions, including turning speech into written text, completing telephone calls and making the user's voice louder.
22The device can also translate a person's voice from Japanese into eight other languages.
23Researchers reported success with machine learning systems designed to identify COVID-19 cases by the sounds of a person's cough.
24Machine learning describes computer technology that improves itself through a process similar to human learning.
25One study, by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), showed a high success rate in identifying COVID-19 in people who had no physical signs of the disease.
26A team at Pennsylvania's Carnegie Mellon University has used similar methods to develop a "voice-based testing system for COVID-19."
27That system uses recordings of coughs - as well as some vowel sounds and the alphabet - to identify "signatures" of the disease.
28Apple and Google cooperated to launch a mobile phone tool to follow the contacts of people infected with coronavirus.
29The technology became the basis for apps developed by U.S. states and several nations to carry out contact tracing.
30The system operates with Bluetooth wireless technology, which permits devices near each other to exchange information and create a record.
31If a device user becomes infected with the virus and agrees to share that information,
32the record is used to inform other people that they also might have been infected.
33I'm Bryan Lynn.
1The COVID-19 pandemic affected many industries across the world in 2020. Many companies faced severe economic difficulties related to the worldwide spread of the new coronavirus. But, some were able to develop new technologies to help fight the disease in an effort to improve people's lives. 23D printed oxygen valves 3One of the first companies we reported on related to the pandemic developed a 3D printer to quickly produce oxygen valves to treat COVID-19 patients. 4The new Italian company Isinnova found a way to use its 3D printing equipment to copy the medical devices. Valves are used to connect oxygen to patients suffering from breathing problems. The company produced the life-saving equipment for free after it learned many Italian hospitals faced a serious shortage of valves. 5'Hackathon' solutions 6The CodeTheCurve 'hackathon' for young people led to several possible new ways to deal with COVID-19, the disease caused by the new coronavirus. The event's organizers included the United Nations, American technology company IBM and European software business SAP. 7One of the winning teams created a system that uses machine learning and picture technology to examine chest X-rays to identify the most severe COVID-19 patients. Another team developed an app that uses virtual reality to let users explore different places around the world while exercising from home. 8Wearable technology research 9Several companies studied the effectiveness of wearable devices to identify early signs of COVID-19. 10Researchers at America's West Virginia University reported in May a device they tested was able to identify COVID-19 signs up to three days before people started to experience them. 11Another research project, carried out by the California-based Scripps Research Institute, examined data from devices worn by more than 30,000 volunteers. Researchers said their early results showed the devices could successfully identify people who had no signs of COVID-19 but were still infectious. 12'Smart' face mask 13A Japanese company created a "smart" mask that aims to improve communication for people wearing face coverings. Donut Robotics calls its invention the "c-mask." It is meant to fit over other kinds of face masks commonly worn by the public. 14The mask is made of soft plastic material and contains a built-in microphone. When it is turned on, the mask uses Bluetooth technology to connect to a mobile device. 15An app then helps users perform several actions, including turning speech into written text, completing telephone calls and making the user's voice louder. The device can also translate a person's voice from Japanese into eight other languages. 16Machine learning to identify COVID-19 17Researchers reported success with machine learning systems designed to identify COVID-19 cases by the sounds of a person's cough. Machine learning describes computer technology that improves itself through a process similar to human learning. 18One study, by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), showed a high success rate in identifying COVID-19 in people who had no physical signs of the disease. 19A team at Pennsylvania's Carnegie Mellon University has used similar methods to develop a "voice-based testing system for COVID-19." That system uses recordings of coughs - as well as some vowel sounds and the alphabet - to identify "signatures" of the disease. 20Contact tracing apps 21Apple and Google cooperated to launch a mobile phone tool to follow the contacts of people infected with coronavirus. The technology became the basis for apps developed by U.S. states and several nations to carry out contact tracing. 22The system operates with Bluetooth wireless technology, which permits devices near each other to exchange information and create a record. If a device user becomes infected with the virus and agrees to share that information, the record is used to inform other people that they also might have been infected. 23I'm Bryan Lynn. 24Bryan Lynn wrote this story for VOA Learning English. Mario Ritter, Jr. was the editor. 25We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section, and visit our Facebook page. 26_________________________________________________________ 27Words in This Story 283D printer - n. a device that can manufacture objects in a way similar to how copies of documents are made 29valve - n. a mechanical device that controls the flow of liquids 30app (application)- n. a computer program 31virtual reality - n. pictures and sounds created by a computer that are aimed at affecting a person's experiences and senses 32translate - v. to change words from one language to another 33cough - n. to force air through the throat making short loud noises, often because a person is sick 34signature - n. signs that show a specific thing is present 35contact tracing - n. to watch and record who a person has contact to discover the spread of disease