Spread Music. Not COVID.

In the coming weeks, Dutch choirs will be dusting off their song sheets, clearing their throats and bursting into song. Hallelujah! Or perhaps not. With so much uncertainty as to the circumstances in which coronavirus is transmitted, being a member of the choral society is suddenly a risky business. Luckily, five creative-minded TU Delft students, include two IDE-ers, are on the case. After being approached by the Nederlandse Bach Vereniging, IDE’s Professor Sicco Santema set up the volunteer student team to help find a solution.

The team is working on five different ideas involving face masks, virus killing materials, airflow, fences or cabins and electromagnetics. IDE student Ingeborg Braakman comments: “In the upcoming weeks we will begin testing these concepts to find out the best design direction. One of the design ideas involves maximising the airflow using cleanrooms. Then we will try to reduce the size, cost and noise, all while remaining safe. But for other ideas, we start small, start testing simple elements and try to combine several into a complete product.”

Ingeborg like other members of the team, is rather musical, playing the bassoon. She explains: “Right now it’s just for fun and a good cause. I think we felt an affinity with the project and wanted to use our knowledge and talent. My hope is that some of us will continue this as an internship or graduation project.”

Read more about the project here.