Ferrari and Italian Institute of Technology continue production of low-cost ventilators. The device can be used to help in the fight against Covid-19.

Ferrari and the Italian Institute of Technology (IIT) have developed an easy to use and assemble ventilator that can be used by hospitals when dealing with emergencies such as the coronavirus pandemic.

Designed in just five weeks, the pulmonary ventilator is produced using easily available materials at a lower cost than currently available devices, the creators said.

The project from Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow and the IIT goes by the name FI5.

The letters are the initials of the Maranello marque and the research institute based in Genoa, while the number indicates the number of weeks required to produce a fully functioning prototype.

The ventilator has been designed to meet the typical demands of medium intensive care, and is said to be reliable, versatile, easy to use and assemble.

It is also able to optimise oxygen consumption and be produced in volume, using easily available materials.

The technical specifications of FI5 are available as an open source project, meaning anyone can produce it.

The first prototype was assembled last week at IIT headquarters in Genoa and underwent and passed all the functionality tests.

Mattia Binotto, managing director at Gestione Sportiva and team principal at Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow, said: “The challenge of Covid-19 was one we wanted to take on.

“FI5 is the contribution we made as the Scuderia, fielding the very essence of what makes a Formula One team and more importantly, all the characteristics that make Ferrari special – its passion, its creativity and its desire to improve.

“This project was a very stimulating experience as well as being truly rewarding for all those involved, who worked side by side with our colleagues from IIT and the other partners.”

Professor Giorgio Metta, scientific director of the Italian Institute of Technology, said: “It is a project initiated because of an urgent health emergency in our society to which we have responded very quickly thanks to the combination of the Scuderia that is the pride of our nation and famous around the world, and a research centre that is at the forefront of internationally respected scientific institutions.”