In today’s COVID-19 reality, one of the most obvious ways the deadly virus has impacted our daily lives is the necessary use of face masks for personal safety. Cashing in on the popularity of this new daily essential is Donut Robotics — a Japanese technology start-up, who’s created a smart face mask that doubles as a helpful language translator and more.
Dubbed the “C-Mask,” this smart face mask can record conversations, transcribe them into text via an app, and translate them into nine different languages — Japanese, English, Mandarin, French, Korean, Thai, Bahasa, Spanish, and Vietnamese. The phone-to-mask data transfer is enabled via Bluetooth.
Japan’s Donut Robotics’ C-Mask (USD 40) and its accompanying mobile phone application, pictured during a demonstration in Tokyo, Japan June 23, 2020.
It also comes with a myriad of other features including amplifying a wearer’s voice and making calls with voice activation. So, we dare say it’s quite an impressive piece of tech.
Above: Taisuke Ono — CEO of Donut Robotics.
In an interview with Reuters Japan, Taisuke Ono, CEO of Donut Robotics, says “For many years, we have spent time on developing robots (used for customer assistance at Tokyo’s Haneda airport), and we have decided to utilise that technology to create a product that responds to how the coronavirus has reshaped society.”
Due to be released this September, the first 5,000 C-Masks produced will be on sale for the Japanese market only, though there are plans to expand its availability to many other foreign markets worldwide.
So, do keep your eyes peeled, if you are planning to get your hands on them. Or you can always get a Japanese acquaintance to get one for you.
The Donut Robotics C-Mask (USD 40) will be available from September 2020.
To find out more about Donut Robotics, click HERE.
The photos featured in this article is courtesy Donut Robotics and REUTERS.
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