- C-FACE mask is designed to be worn over a standard face mask.
- It is accompanied by an app and it can transcribe dictation.
- It amplifies the wearer’s voice.
A Japanese startup, Donut Robotics created a smart mask, which is designed to make communication and social distancing easier. The COVID-19 global pandemic has led to industries around the world cranking up production of all types of masks because everyone is putting on a mask to avoid the spread of the deadly virus.
The C-FACE smart mask is the weirdest one yet. The startup CEO, Taisuke Ono said that the mask is made of white plastic and silicone with an embedded microphone that connects to a smartphone via Bluetooth. It is designed to be worn over a standard face mask because it has cutouts at the front so it is not designed for virus-laden droplets like traditional masks.C-FACE masks are different from the analogue face masks which are already in the market.
The C-FACE mask is accompanied by an app and it can transcribe dictation, translate speech into eight different languages as well as amplifying the wearer’s voice. The translation feature is available for Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Vietnamese, Indonesian, English, Spanish and French. The project was funded in part by the Japanese crowdfunding site Funddido and they ended up raising $260,000 in 37 minutes. The mask will cost $40 apiece. The company’s first masks will be shipped to buyers in September 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has led to a boom in face masks sales and they have become a necessity rather than a specialized tool by medical professionals. People are wearing cloth masks, surgical masks and even the more specialized N95 masks for better protection against viruses like SARS-CoV-2. Therefore the market of masks is booming since it becomes a habit of people to wear masks wherever they are.
The startup companies are rising from this global pandemic and most industries especially those who are creating masks are the ones who are making large profits. They are likely to grow their business since the end of this pandemic is unpredictable.
