At this year’s CES, Razer presented Project Hazel, a high-tech mask that is supposed to meet the US N95 standard, which corresponds to the FFP2 standard here. In addition to safety, the focus is on improving communication with a microphone and transparent elements. The product is not yet ready for the market.
N95 standard is said to be met
The mouth-nose guard is largely made of recyclable plastic. Only the edges are sealed with silicone to ensure that the mask is airtight, which should effectively protect against the penetration of viruses. Ventilation is provided by two removable and replaceable air filters. They are said to provide a filtering performance that meets the U.S. N95 standard: 95 percent of airborne particles with a minimum size of 0.3 micrometers are said to be filtered. This also corresponds to the EU standard FFP2. Razer is said to be aiming for such certifications.
Adding to the safety of the reusable mask is the recharge box, where it can be stored when not in use. UV light is used to disinfect the mask inside the box. The biggest problem of masks that are used several times – the great risk of contamination with foreign particles on the inside and intrinsic particles on the outside of the mask, which at least significantly reduces the protection for the person wearing the mask as well as for other persons – is thus solved, provided that the mask is stored in the ready-to-use box for a sufficiently long period of time immediately after removal. The risk of infection via the contaminated mask lying around is also largely eliminated with consistent implementation.
Serving communication
In addition to safety, Razer places great emphasis on the mask’s contribution to improving communication. Many complain that conventional masks make communication difficult because they push facial expressions into the realm of the invisible. Some transparent masks have already tried to solve this problem – but inadequately, as a significant reduction in the protective function was accepted for this. Razer now introduces a mask that is transparent and yet safe. In addition, a microphone-speaker system is integrated into the mask. This is to ensure that the wearer can always be understood well.
In addition, there is an RGB as well as a night illumination. While the RGB lighting serves purely aesthetic purposes, the night lighting is intended to improve communication: It comes on automatically in the dark and illuminates the wearer’s mouth area to make essential elements of facial expressions recognizable.
Wireless charging
The mask is equipped with a rechargeable battery that needs to be charged daily to ensure functionality. For this purpose, the aforementioned charging box is available, which in turn must be charged regularly. Without a charged battery, not only the lighting elements, but also the air filters will not work.
Not yet ready for market
According to Razer, however, the product is not yet ready for the market. Prototypes are said to already exist, however. When the mask is to be launched on the market is currently unknown. Since it is explicitly intended for the Covid 19 pandemic, however, a market launch is to be expected in the near future.
