By Richard de Leon
As a tropical country whose weather is worsened by the impact of global warming, Philippine weather can be inevitably hot.
This is where Kristian Rafael Tan, 23, drew the inspiration for his final requirement for his Industrial Design degree at De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde.
For his thesis requirement, Tan invented a solar-powered cooling vest as a potential solution to help cool the wearer, aimed to be a “cooling” device for construction laborers who usually work under the scorching sun.
Beside its cooling feature through a removable fan, the young inventor tapped solar power as its main energy source. Tan also made sure that the vest is affordable for the general public to purchase.
He is planning to offer his original work to some huge companies to finance and improve the invention and eventually aim for mass production. With his brilliant invention, Tan easily bagged the “Best Thesis” award.