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Spotted: A warming climate means that outdoor workers are increasingly exposed to high temperatures. In one survey from Hong Kong, where a new heatstroke warning system was put in place in 2023, more than 60 per cent of construction workers suffered from heat stroke symptoms over a three-month period. Despite the risks, many construction workers simply can’t avoid these hot conditions.

To help these workers, a student engineering team from the University of Hong Kong has devised the Air Ring 48 (AR48), a personal cooling device that fits into a safety helmet. The AR48 redirects a fan-induced airflow to the areas of the head medically demonstrated to have the highest rates of sweat, while avoiding the nerves of the face that cause headaches.

Using targeted cooling consumes less energy, allowing the fan to run for 16 hours between charges. It is also lightweight, at just 150 grams, and operates at just 30 decibels (comparable to a whisper). Installed in a helmet in just five seconds, the AR48 is also waterproof, impact-resistant, and compliant with site safety standards.

The cooling technology used in the AR48 has undergone trials that showed its use leads to a 3.2 degrees Celsius reduction in skin temperature and a 0.67 degrees Celsius reduction in core temperature – reducing the risk of heatstroke.

The AR48 has been recognised as the Hong Kong winner of the 2024 James Dyson Award, which was announced in September 2024, and received a prize of £5,000 as part of the competition. The award places the AR48 in the Dyson Top 20 of best inventions by young engineers and designers. The team is currently working on further product development, manufacturing trials, and waterproofing tests.

Written By: Lisa Magloff