What if a construction net could do more?

Construction sites often use netting around scaffolding to contain debris and some dust. Yet smaller airborne particles can still move beyond the barrier, exposing people working on site and those living nearby.

Growing up in South Delhi, Aarna Gupta saw the effects of polluted air in her own family. She visited construction sites and spoke with workers and children nearby. At 17, she began asking whether a net already present on many sites could do more.

AeroShield is a proposed low-cost scaffold net with a starch-based superabsorbent polymer. According to Samsung's profile, that layer is designed to trap airborne particles through capillary absorption and electrostatic forces.

The design also incorporates photocatalytic materials. Under sunlight, they are intended to generate reactive oxygen species that can act on certain pollutants captured on the net. Physical capture of dust and chemical action on some pollutants are distinct steps; the design does not mean mineral dust simply disappears.

Aarna is designing AeroShield to integrate with construction infrastructure already in use. Samsung reports that roller-line manufacturing is envisioned to help make the net scalable while aiming to use less water and keep costs low.

The net shown in our feature visual is a reference photograph of ordinary scaffold netting, not an AeroShield product photograph. A verified public photograph of her prototype was not available for this feature.

Samsung reported in August 2026 that a prototype was ready. AeroShield was later named among the Top 20 finalists of Samsung Solve for Tomorrow 2026 in the Environmental Sustainability theme.

The proposed mechanism is promising, but published field measurements comparing AeroShield with ordinary nets are not yet available. Real construction-site testing will be needed to establish capture performance, durability, cost and practical maintenance.