This simply shows just how important the Port of New Orleans is in the planet's economy, with a huge amount of shipping routes heading into and out of it. It is involved in the second busiest shipping area in the world, potentially bringing in international cargo or people that are infected with a hazardous disease. Also shown are the other super-ports of the world, of which New Orleans is a part of.

this illustration shows the level of vulnerability of materials and people in the Port of New Orleans, showing how it changes depending on the area that you are in. The left side is almost entire cargo, and it is handled by heavy machinery and mechanized equipment, with very little human interaction. The right side of the Port is almost entirely human oriented, with the majority of the cruise ship terminals here. This illustrates the different precautions and steps that need to be taken to ensure that the right kind of quarantined item (whether cargo or a human) is properly quarantined.

Here is my operative diagram, based on my word, which is change. This illustrates basic spatial conditions as they change in direction, intersection, thickness, proximity to each other, and complexity; i used offset to still maintain a sense of unity throughout the diagram. The goal was to show grossly changing spatial volumes in 40 days, changing every 10 days.

RENEWABLE ENERGY - SOLAR PANELING

Some of the energy needed for my quarantine unit will be provided by the use of multiple solar panel arrays, all aimed to maximize solar potential and generate electricity, as well as hot water as seen in the second diagram. They will be on multiple levels, and on the roof as well as the walls incorporated into the patchwork of glass and opaque panels.

The diagrams for my two elective activities, eating and

sleeping

My rather persuasive advertisement for the SPECT-R

The SPECT-R mask in action, on its creator's face

SPEcial Counter Transmission device - Removable

"The SPECT-R preventative mask, because you can never be too careful with H1N1"

At last, i have created my final mask. I made a number of functional and cosmetic changes to the SPECT-R design, mainly trimming the edges to give it a slimmer appearance, and more importantly adding the more efficient hole perforations for better breathing and speaking.

All in all, the only thing beyond my control was the wrinkling of the acetate. Putting a flat sheet on a very angled piece of plaster and heating it with a single gun makes this inevitable. I would hope that if this mask ever went to production and use that it would be made using machines specially fitted for this task. The mask is almost unnoticeable as it is, but if it was completely smooth it would hopefully be invisible, accomplishing the main goal i was after.

After finding the wonderfully thin and transparent acetate paper, i used the heat gun and molded it over my face mask, and this is the result. The first true prototype of the SPECT-R.

I used an ovular section of plaster to put over the mouth, enabling mouth movement and speaking (molding it over the lips would obviously prohibit this). It was imperative that it closely adhered to the nose, so that it would anchor there, and this mask makes headway with that. Finally, i tried out different methods of perforations, allowing for breathing and speaking from the mouth and nostrils. Here i tried slits in the mouth region, but i felt many small holes would better screen the area and keep harmful droplets out.

This is the first prototype i made of my mask, by now dubbed the SPECT-R mask, (explained earlier in this blog), made of plexiglass. This was before i found acetate, and it was rendered obsolete. Shown by the red marks it has little in common with the facial profile i had outlined, and its only redeeming factor was that it was considerably stronger than the current acetate ones.

THE MATERIAL

I experimented with two different selections of silicone, and found that getting just the right thickness was impossible for this mask, since if its too thick it would hol

d up well but not be very transparent, defeating the purpose. And vice versa.

So i stumbled upon the idea of using plexiglass and heating it with a heat gun to mold it upon my facial site. But plexiglass seemed too thick, so i kept searching and finally found that acetate paper was the best option. I

t molded under heat much easier than the plexiglass, and was far easier to cut.

I wont put a picture of the acetate paper, because you simply cant see it. Trust me, its there.

THE SITE

I used standard plaster of paris strips to create my "site", my own human face, from the eyes down. I ended up having to create three of them, since excessive heat from the heat gun (it gets up to 750 degrees fahrenheit) caused the acetate to melt to the mask, destroying it. However, i was able to create my final mask on the untarnished mold without incident. Here is the final mold i created:

These sketches show the idea i eventually gravitated towards, a clear mask covering the lower nose (anchor), the upper lip, mouth area, and sits atop the chin. Some executive decisions were made, such as using simple perforation instead of fine netting for the screen section. This would mean that the mask is made of one single material, making production easier, and making is less noticeable, which is the penultimate goal here.

These accompanying images are of the preliminary sketches i did of the ideas i had when first envisioning this device. I knew it had to be as discrete and unnoticeable as possible, and that it had to protect the face from the infectious droplets from the H1N1 flu, specifically the mouth and nostrils.

As you can see, i thought about a variety of options before settling on a clear mask (initially thought to be made of silicone) that would contour itself to the user's face, anchoring itself at the nose and sitting atop the chin, and fastened with a well-holding adhesive.

So i set out to find some silicone, a.k.a. Home Depot.

It's been a while, but ive made some pretty tremendous strides in the design of my mask, or as ive now dubbed it, the SPECT-R protective mask. The name stands for SPEcial Counter Transmission device, and the R stands or removable. Another meaning is that of a spectre, a ghost, something so difficult to see or notice that you don't even know that its there.

The design of the SPECT-R is based on a molded plexiglass mask with a silicone lining and fine perforation, similar in concept to the above picture, except it is far more contoured to the human face. Yet it allows muscle movement, enabling its user to speak and breath normally.

As of right now i am working on the first prototype, and hope to fine tine that and make a final, presentation prototype by this Friday, the 12th.

I've found after some rifling through random materials at hobby lobby, co-op, and home depot, that mosquito netting is optimal for this preventative device. It is very fine, which is necessary to keep the virus out of a person's respiratory system, but most importantly it is very soft and easy to maneuver, which is obviously the most important aspect of this mask. I want whoever that is to wear this mask to notice two things: one, that THEY don't notice that they're wearing it and two, that NOBODY else notices that they're wearing it. Invisible prevention.

For my device i've chosen the most obvious and most vulnerable route of infiltration, that being the face. Namely, the nostrils and mouth. H1N1, like any other type of influenza, is mostly contracted via the respiratory system. When

someone coughs or sneezes, tiny droplets spray everywhere,often infecting people it comes into contact with.

I show these two images because my design will be a compromise between the two. Since it is to be worn at a formal ball, it has to be as compact and discrete as possible. No filtration system will be necessary, simply something to shield infected particles away from the user.

My design will be more in-depth than a simple carpenter's mask, but i also want to avoid a design as garish and loud as a Venetian Carnivale mask. But the desire to be aesthetically pleasing will remain there.

Just to get an idea of the immense impact that the A/H1N1 virus has had on the planet, i post this map. The black countries indicate nations that have confirmed fatal cases, red being non-fatal. What's keeping central Africa and the -stan countries clean, i dont know. Easily one of the most widespread diseases in modern history.