HÀ NỘI — Like many of his fellow high school classmates, Trần Hoàng Phi Bảo rides a bike to school.

But unlike normal cyclists, the kid in Lâm Đồng Province’s Đà Lạt City doesn’t have to wear a mask to avoid inhaling dirty air, instead his bike cleans the air for him.

The fresh air comes from a device installed on his bike handlebars.

Bảo and two of her friends from Thăng Long Gifted High School in Đà Lạt invented the device.

It has two parts, including an air filter and a battery. The air filter is installed on the bike’s handlebars to filter contaminated air and provide clean air to the rider. The filter has three layers using cotton and activated carbon fabric to prevent dust.

Bảo said the layer of activated carbon was capable of absorbing most pollutants in the air.

The device is connected with six small fans installed on two sides of the front wheel. These fans help to blow clean air to riders’ face while creating power for the battery which is used to create power for the filter.

With this device, bike riders do not need to wear masks and can enjoy fresh air while cycling, Bảo said.

“Apart from creating fresh and clean air for the rider, it also contributes to filter the surrounding air. If more bicycles are installed with this device, more fresh and clean air will be created,” he said.

The device was created by Bảo, Tăng Bảo Khánh and Cao Thị Khánh Hòa after six months of study and experiment.

Test results have showed that the device could help filter up to 86 per cent of dust and 63 per cent of nitrogen oxide, a highly poisonous gas, according to the Environmental Observation Centre of the city’s Department of Natural Resources and Environment.

Bảo, Khánh and Hòa won the second prize at the national technical and scientific competition for high school students in the 2018-19 academic year.

Hòa said the device was made from recycled materials so the production cost was not too expensive while helping to protect the environment.

“We will study more to improve the device in terms of both quality and form. In the near future, we will manufacture such filters for electric bikes to make it more applicable, contributing to protecting people’s health and the environment,” she said. — VNS