Helio - innovative air purifier from bioplastic, symbol of young creative spirit

DNVN - The "Helio" project - an environmentally friendly air purifier developed by a group of Vietnamese and international students - has just won third prize at the IStartup 2025 competition organized by the International School (Vietnam National University, Hanoi).

With bioplastic technology and community development orientation, Helio is expected to contribute to improving air quality and inspiring green startups for the young generation.

The IStartup 2025 Creative Ideas - Startup Competition with the theme "Green Technology - Green Tech" organized by the International School, Hanoi National University, attracted the participation of hundreds of domestic and foreign students. The highlight of this year's season is the combination of Vietnamese and international students in the same project, opening up many opportunities for exchange, learning and creativity.

Among the outstanding ideas, the project “Helio Air Purifier” made a strong impression and excellently won the third prize. The team consisted of four members: Nguyen Thi Hai Yen (team leader, Marketing major), Do Minh Hoang (International Business), and two international students - Comaan De from India and Demy Warloxx from Nigeria (Management Information Systems major).

Student group carrying out the project.

When cross-cultural collaboration creates creative power

Sharing with reporters, student Comaan De said that working with Vietnamese friends has brought many advantages to the group. “Each member has their own strengths in engineering, design, communication or project management, thereby helping the group maximize the capacity of each individual,” Comaan said.

The differences in culture and approach to problems become a positive source of energy that helps the team expand their creative thinking, finding solutions that are suitable for both domestic and international contexts. “Through collaborating with Vietnamese students, I learned teamwork, communication skills and improved adaptability, factors that I believe are extremely important to realize projects that aim to create positive change for the world ,” Comaan added.

Sharing the same view, Demy Warloxx believes that the decisive factor for the group's success lies in solidarity and communication skills. "After completing the initial ideas and starting to implement them, the group continuously encountered technical problems... Everyone had their own ideas, so disagreements were inevitable. But when we listened to each other and agreed, the project could develop well," Demy said.

The spirit of “common brain” helps the whole team bond and overcome difficulties. It is this respect and sharing that has brought worthy results to Helio at IStartup 2025. The name Helio, according to Demy, was inspired by “Helios” - the Sun god in Greek mythology, symbolizing energy, light and new beginnings, in line with the sustainable development philosophy that the team is aiming for.

Helio - air purifier made from environmentally friendly bioplastic

According to Nguyen Thi Hai Yen, project leader, Helio is designed to be lightweight, compact in size, and operates by automatically sucking and filtering air in the air. The product is especially suitable for urban areas with high pollution density, helping to clean the air quickly without taking up ground space.

The device uses nanotube biofilm technology that can absorb ultra-fine dust (PM0.1 - PM2.5) and toxic gases, combining four stages of filtration: suction, fine dust filtration, ionization and UV sterilization. The entire outer shell is made from bioplastic derived from mycelia - a completely biodegradable material that does not produce toxic smoke when burned and does not generate microplastics.

The Helio production process is based on the environmentally friendly “Mushroom Packaging” model: mushroom plastic is cultured on an agricultural substrate, shaped by CNC molds and thermoforming trays, then dried to form a durable, lightweight and quickly degradable material. Thanks to this, the product is both resource-saving and leaves no carbon footprint during the manufacturing process.

Hai Yen said that Helio is designed to operate flexibly like a team of mini drones, which can move to pollution “hot spots” such as construction sites, industrial zones, major roads, or fly in the direction of the wind to optimize cleaning ability. In addition, the device can also be used in the home as a decoration, integrating solar lights, absorbing daylight and glowing at night.

Development orientation: From green ideas to the brand "For the health of Vietnamese people"

According to student Do Minh Hoang, the Helio group builds a development roadmap based on three pillars: core technology, creative economic model and production development cooperation.

“The Helio project winning third prize at the competition is an important stepping stone, giving us more confidence to turn ideas into real products with high and stable quality. We will focus on investing in a team of specialized technicians and looking for strategic partners in the manufacturing field. Helio hopes to create 'Made in Vietnam' products that meet international technical standards,” Hoang shared.

The group also aims for a product personalization model, allowing users to choose colors, patterns and materials that suit their lifestyle. This approach not only increases aesthetic value but also opens up a direction for creative economic development, promoting the domestic design industry.

During the competition, the team received support from the International School - Hanoi National University and Dr. Bui Thi Thanh Huong. Nguyen Thi Hai Yen shared: “Through the sharing of instructors, speakers and guests, the first lesson we received was about our own inner strength... The second lesson is that creative ideas must be linked to real needs. A successful product is not only because of its uniqueness, but also because it truly solves problems for consumers, bringing real value to the community.”

The Helio project is a testament to the creativity and spirit of borderless cooperation of the young generation in Vietnam and internationally. From a green idea, Helio is gradually becoming a symbol of efforts towards sustainable development, contributing to bringing cleaner air to the community.

Nguyen Bach

Source: https://doanhnghiepvn.vn/cong-nghe/helio-sang-kien-may-loc-khong-khi-tu-nhua-biological-plastic-bieu-tuong-cho-tinh-than-sang-tao-tre/20251008024532898