Though the Covid-19 pandemic slammed the door on all of us, and fear of the coronavirus loomed large, the past year has seen a bounty of stunning innovations.
The global health crisis has pushed scientists, health workers, engineers and ordinary people across the world to come up with ideas that have changed our lives.
Some are so innovative that they could be in use long after the pandemic. Others are so quirky that we just have to include them in this list.
Eating and drinking safe
QR code menus have become an everyday, cost-effective alternative to grimy menus touched by many dirty hands. Hoteliers say the bonus is faster orders and billing, fewer mistakes and more time for staff to do other chores.
A robot wearing a vest and bow tie greets you when you walk into a bar in South Korea, then proceeds to make an ice ball for your whiskey – using a fraction of the time taken by a human. Elsewhere, a robot arm shakes up mojitos and other cocktails with a consistency that human bartenders cannot match. Welcome to the Covid-19-era bar, where robots help to minimise human contact in crowded hangouts. Just do not expect any juggling of bottles by these hard workers.
Some restaurants in Europe use “bubbles” for virus-free dining out. They come in various forms such as oversized plastic lampshades, large head cones or couple domes that form a protective wall around diners.
For those who prefer to keep their face masks on while eating or drinking, they can go for a mask with a mouth opening. Designed by Israel-based technology firm Avtipus Patents and Invention, the eating slot can be opened mechanically or automatically. The slot opens for a few seconds for a person to put food inside the mouth, and closes when the person is chewing.
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