social mask, the intelligent mask that can identify air-borne pathogens

when the COVID-19 took over the world, we were faced with challenges that were not part of our priorities. wearing masks and personal protective equipment (PPE) became a norm, and like that we were left with just our abilities to adapt. with this in mind, MIT’s pandemic response lab launched an initiative asking designers, researchers, engineers, scientist, or anyone to reimagine face coverings and PPE. today we present you with the winning entry, the social mask by burzo ciprian, a young designer and engineer from romania.

images by social mask

the social mask by burzo ciprian, which is still a prototype under development, can be made either by 3D-printing with ecological filament, or by casting in special molds. the front of the mask contains a modular device that can be removed or replaced while integrating the biosensors, bluetooth capabilities, and an air vent. on the side, users can find another filter ventilation system, the temperature sensor and its display. the intelligent mask can connect to your phone via a dedicated app with different functions like temperature tracking, particle status checking, or a map with surrounding users. collecting the data from the mask, the algorithm realizes a percentage of the possible infection with SARS COV-19. all users will appear on the map so that an uninfected person avoids the area with possible infections.

to facilitate wearing the social mask by people who suffer from allergies, different types of materials such as polycarbonate and polypropylene have been employed. the masks are made with a modern, minimalist design using various color palettes. they look nice, futuristic and smart. in order to detect asymptomatic people, a biosensor has been integrated in the front that will detect the particles and together with the motherboard and the bluetooth adapter will send the user information on a mobile device. also on the side, the temperature sensor will send in real time the user temperature.

project info:

name: social mask

designer: burzo cripian

part of: MIT pandemic response CoLab competition — winning entry