New Zealand students use wood and LEGO to build working ventilator

A group of Year 12 students at St John’s College in Hastings, New Zealand have put together a working ventilator using wood and LEGO elements.

Stuck in lockdown due to coronavirus prevention measures, a group of students who usually attend St John’s College in Hastings, New Zealand decided to build a working ventilator.

After getting an initial concept together, the group were able to secure an Ambu bag from the Hawkes Bay medical community. Once they had that, they could build a LEGO prototype of the ventilator. There was some motor trouble, but ultimately Dylan Wijaya and his crew were able to figure out a solution.

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Once a working solution had been figured out using LEGO bricks, the final prototype was built using wood. It is a fully working ventilator, performing the same function that those so frequently mentioned in the news do.

The next step for the team, who meet to dicuss the project via Zoom, is to recalibrate the device so it matches breathing patterns. Their progress can be followed on Facebook.

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