A new face mask concept aims to battle COVID-19 while also translating speech into various languages via Bluetooth. Japanese startup, Donut Robotics, hopes to bring the innovative mask design to life by the end of the year. This is not the only example of a tech company stepping into the virus-protection field, considering others, including Apple, have been working on various coronavirus solutions, including producing face shields. However, the Japanese company is taking a different approach by trying to reinvent and add to what PPE can do.
The C-Face mask is touted as the first face mask that works with smartphones. The company is marketing its “smart mask” as an aid for breaking down language barriers and ensuring a safer means of communication. However, C-Face isn’t meant to act as a PPE replacement, but rather, it’s meant to be used as an accompaniment to a traditional face mask. C-Face masks are designed to be big enough to be worn over commercial face masks, allowing users the option to use medically-approved PPEs while still maintaining access to the smart features. With more countries now turning to apps to help mitigate the spread of coronavirus, it makes sense for C-Face to encourage social distancing communications through the use of its specialized app.
According to Donut Robotics, the C-Face smart mask is capable of translating speech into eight different languages, including English, Chinese, Spanish, Vietnamese, French, Korean, Indonesian and Thai. The mask assists in automatically transcribing spoken words which, can then be transferred and viewed through either the smartphone app or a PC. The smart mask alone costs between 3,980 JPY ($37) to 6,980 ($65) and is expected to hit stores some time in the last quarter of 2020. In the meantime, a crowdfunding period will take place between late July and October. While the functionality might seem limited at the moment, the Japanese tech startup is planning to incorporate virtual reality and augmented reality technology in the future.
Too Soon For Smart Face Masks?
With companies now coming up with solutions capable of recognizing covered faces, it’s only natural for smart face mask developments to follow. While the idea of wearing face masks with smart AI capabilities is an intriguing proposition, this nascent market is evidently still in its early stages. It’s hard to consider smart masks that so heavily rely on smartphones, especially when many smartphones are already capable of translating speech on its own.
Although the momentum of smart masks could drastically pick up once they start functioning efficiently without the help of a smartphone, implementing AR and VR features effectively could result in a more promising product. Considering how companies like Apple are already adapting products to cater to frequent face mask usage during the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s only a matter of time before companies invest in adding smarter features to the face masks themselves.
