Twenty inventors from nine different institutions collaborated on the projects to address COVID-19 in Morocco.

Rabat – A group of Moroccan researchers and engineers invented two “100% Moroccan” devices, an automatic ventilator and an infrared thermometer, to assist the country’s efforts in the fight against the novel coronavirus.

The Moroccan Ministry of Industry, Trade, and Digital Economy brought together a cluster of 20 inventors to come up with the innovations, revealed a 2M television channel news report on Thursday, April 2.

While only prototype models of the inventions have been assembled, mass production should come in the near future, after the Ministry of Health examines the efficiency of the inventions and ensures they respect international health standards.

The automatic ventilator is a mobile device that can work in different environments, according to Said Bendahou, one of the inventors who contributed to the project.

The ventilator can either work on a battery or linked to an electrical outlet. The device works completely autonomously and can continuously function for up to 3,000 hours (125 days).

The invention can assist the breathing of COVID-19 patients or anyone suffering from respiratory problems.

Meanwhile, the second invention, an infrared thermometer, can be used at the entrance of administrations or workplaces to detect suspected COVID-19 cases.

The thermometer measures and displays temperatures in real time, using an infrared scanner, explained Nawfel Azami, a research professor in electronics at the National Institute of Posts and Telecommunications (INPT).

The device can measure temperatures of a wide range of materials and gives accurate results.

Both inventions are made with equipment and raw materials created or found in Morocco.

The use of Moroccan parts and resources does not only aim to put the “100% Moroccan” label on the inventions, but also to speed up their production, revealed Bendahou.

Using local resources will shorten the manufacturing duration since no time will be lost waiting for parts to be imported, he continued.

Participants in the projects come from different universities and institutions, including the Group of Moroccan Aeronautics and Space Industries (GIMAS); the Mohammed VI Polytechnic University (UM6P); the Moroccan Electronic, Mechatronic, and Mechanic Cluster (CE3M); the Moroccan Foundation for Advanced Science, Innovation, and Research (MAScIR); and the INPT.

The National Federation for Electricity, Electronics, and Renewable Energy (FENELEC), as well as the companies PilliotY, Aviarail, and SERMP also took part in the projects.

The Ministry of Industry’s mission during the COVID-19 crisis is to coordinate the efforts of all stakeholders in order to come up with innovative solutions to urgent challenges, said Ali Seddiki, the managing director in charge of industry at the ministry.