Fugaku supercomputer develops superior covid faceshield.

[Abarbarian]

Supercomputer-developed face shields may offer lifeline for Japan's restaurant industry

Using the Fugaku supercomputer, the world’s fastest, a consortium of Japanese researchers has developed a wrap-around face shield that can more effectively block airborne droplets and reduce exposure to the coronavirus for diners at pubs and restaurants.

The computer simulation has found that a typical face shield that covers only the mouth would block only about 30% of oral droplets from spreading through the air. After studying various options using the supercomputer, the team has confirmed that the chosen design can block about 70% of droplets with a bowl-shaped design that covers a wider area from the chin to the nose.

The face shield is made of a transparent thermoplastic material and its mouth covering can be easily moved to the side so that people can eat while wearing it. The product, which also protects the eyes, is now being tested at several restaurants in the Tokyo area.

The Fugaku is the fastest pc in the world. Naturally it runs a linux operating system, a version of Red Hat.

Supercomputer Fugaku jointly developed by RIKEN and Fujitsu ranked No. 1 in the 55th TOP500 list

 

[Ian]

That seems such an overkill use of a supercomputer - I wonder if they used the computer for 10 seconds of data processing time, as that looks like a very straightforward shield for the level of simulation! I think they're just using this as a bit of advertising, even if it's a noble cause!

 

[nivrip]

Do we know if an "ordinary" computer would have come up with the same result? As Ian says, the shield doesn't look anything but basic.

 

[EvanDavis]

Looks like somethng that could be drawn up in Fusion 360 in half an hour.