An extraordinary mask to show what an ordinary mask hides
The use of masks is quite common in Asian regions and their reasons are varied. While in China and Southeast Asia it is more common to use them to protect oneself against environmental pollution, in countries like Japan, people often use them to not catch airborne diseases (like, for example, influenza) or otherwise to not transmit them. We cannot therefore call in question their function, although it is true that wearing them interferes in social relationships as people are unable to fully appreciate the gestures of the face. That is the reason for which Unmask was born.
Designed by Simone Rebaudengo and Paul Adams, this mask is for the moment an experimental prototype that helps people express certain basic emotions through the use of LED lights. As you can see in the image and you will see in the video, designers have used a LED screen and an Arduino board (among other components) to make Unmask show four states: neutral, smiling, surprise and kiss.
There are no plans for now to market this mask, but neither is discarded to further develop the idea to introduce new components and advanced materials. Not a bad proposal to humanize this bland mask, right?
