Who would have thought that a humble bicycle could still be further improved to make it a more efficient ecological transport which does not only protect the rider’s health but also help improve air quality in the streets?

Ingenious Air Filtration Device

Three friends from Thang Long Institute are among those who brave the heavily-polluted streets of Da Lat City, in the Province of Lam Dong in southern Vietnam, when going to and from school in their bicycles.

Tung Bao Khanh, Cao Thi Khanh Hoa and Tran Hoang Phi Bao, who are all 17, thought of a simple way to prevent themselves from breathing the toxic fumes coming out of motorcycles and cars.

As part of their science school project, the three students invented a device which can be easily installed on the handlebar of a bike. It’s a simple contraption that sucks in incoming air, filter it, and funnel its purified form into the rider, a report said.

The filtration system, which is basically the heart of the device, is made up of three layers of cotton and activated carbon fabric which captures dust and impurities from the air.

Powering the filtration device are six small fans that are installed on both sides of a specially-made bicycle fork. Aside from charging up the filter, the fans also help blow clean air to the rider’s face.

The entire setup only costs around USD$13.40 but the results taken from the tests are rather very promising. According to the data, the device is capable of filtering up to 86% of the dust in the surrounding air and 63% of nitrogen dioxide.