Portfolio

CRACA Vases

WHAT

Development of Open Designs and production of face shields, protective googles and face masks for the local hospitals and community most in need to protect against Covid19. A project developed by the team at VIVA Lab and a group of volunteers which managed to produce over 16,000 PPE's locally and allowed a global production of over 58,000 PPE's.

HOW

Predicting the scarcity of hospital supplies, we contacted Porto’s Hospitals (Hospital S. Antonio and S. João) in an attempt to understand their needs. In a first survey, we understood that 20% of those infected by Covid19 were health professionals themselves due to the lack of PPE's (Personal Protective Equipment).

Thus, we moved forward to produce the solutions developed by a team of volunteers together with the hospitals and transformed our space into an assembly line. We developed projects for Face shields, Protective Goggles and Community Masks. We created a distributed production network with Makers
and seamstresses in Porto and throughout Portugal. Thus facilitating the manufacturing process and the ability to respond to needs in different key points of the city and the country.

In a record time we were producing locally 600 face shields, 200 goggles and 100 face masks per day at VIVA Lab’s facilities. The developed projects were open to the community (Open Design) and were shared for free so that they could be replicated by anyone across the globe. Groups in Brazil, Italy and Spain adopted these solutions.

"A community of Innovators is more autonomous and resilient" - VIVA Lab

PROJECT PARTNERS & HONORABLE MENTIONS

"Porto has always had in its genes an ability to transcend itself in difficult situations throughout history. Also now its people have been in the front line! Viva Lab incorporates this spirit very well and using modern tools was able to respond with a readiness and solidarity that the city recognizes!"
- Filipe Araújo, Deputy Mayor of Porto

"It was with surprise and great satisfaction that we learned - Technical Director Dr. Inês Mouro and this Management - of Viva Lab Porto's offer of material that is so timely for the Teacher's House in Aveiro. In addition to your spirit of solidarity, the type of material offered also reveals the intelligence of knowing what will be at this time the greatest difficulty to keep our users and staff in good condition. On our behalf, but above all in that of our users and staff, we want formally (I have already done so to express to you our deepest gratitude for this selfless gesture which helps to minimize the tremendous difficulties that the current pandemic is experiencing represents for everyone! Greetings in solidarity" - José Luís Malaquias, Delegation of Aveiro, Casa do Professor

"The extraordinary time we have experienced has not only presented us with problems but has also proved to be a time of opportunity, such as the highly fruitful partnership between health institutions such as CHUP and the Maker and Fab Lab's community such as VIVA Lab". - Dr. Márcio Reis, Administrador Hospitalar Departamento Ortofisiatria – Diretor do Serviço de Logística – Serviços Farmacêuticos - Unidade de Esterilização Central

WHY

The results that we had with this project illustrate that the Maker Movement & Fab Lab Network are in fact enacting the future of innovation and work; as they showcase the values and drivers that serve as the guidelines in which the development and work have been an inspiration not only for the communities involved but also to the policy making and entrepreneurial world.

As we saw that the industry wasn't able to quickly adapt and start developing the required PPE's VIVA Lab's team felt the need to help and support the community in anyway possible as it's in our core value to be a Fab Lab that quickly solves local problems while creating innovative solutions through education & Design. As we explained in this interview to RTP Praça da Alegria: