New High-Tech Sensor Brings Masks Protection to the Next Level

Glancing at AQI readings and strapping a mask across your face willy nilly just won't cut it anymore. At least not for conscientious Beijingers who worry about when their masks' filters need to be changed, or how their physiology ties into their breathing and protection against pollutants.

With that in mind, the team at Cambridge Masks is developing new tech to tailor the protection precisely to your needs. The new Smart Cambridge Mask, billed to be available by autumn, uses an app to factor in the user's height, weight, age, and gender to determine their lung capacity, as well as measures their breathing patterns via a sensor on the mask, dubbed the SmartValve. The app then pairs that information (via Bluetooth) with AQI readings from both AirVisual and the government on their smartphone app. "This data means we can give filter expiration level as well as advise when you should wear a mask," a statement from Cambridge explains.

The firm – which got its start in 2015 by developing masks with UK military grade filters coupled with colorful and creative designs – is billing this new product as "the world’s first pollution mask that can actively monitor the air quality around you and tell you when to change the mask filter."

Chris Dobbing, founder of Cambridge Masks, says this new tech makes up for a few current shortcomings, adding the new mask will save the user from "the risk of breathing through an expired filter, which can be hazardous" while also helping them "save costs by ensuring you're not disposing of usable filters" too early on. He adds: "One of the significant issues mask users face is knowing when to replace their filters. The new Smart Cambridge Mask tracks this and tells the wearer exactly when they need to buy a replacement."

The SmartValve and the new app will be available in October 2017, and people can get on by pledging GPB 25 (approximately RMB 223) or higher via Cambridge Mask's Kickstarter (that's the early bird price; after the first 30 are gone the minimum price will go up to GPB 30, or about RMB 268). You'll be able to access that Kickstarter page on May 30 when the campaign officially launches (we'll provide a link on this article then).

The most colorful masks were designed by Nina Griffee, an artist known for her creative face painting. You can read more about Cambridge Masks here: linkedin.com/company-beta/10033464.

Photos courtesy Cambridge Masks

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