The white plastic “c-mask” fits on standard face masks and connects via Bluetooth to a smartphone
Tokyo:
As face covers become the norm in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic, Japanese startup Donut Robotics has developed an Internet-connected “smart mask” that can transmit messages and translate Japanese from eight other languages.
The white plastic “C mask” fits onto standard face masks and connects via Bluetooth to a smartphone and tablet application that can transcribe speech into text messages, make calls or amplify the voice of the mask wearer.
“We have worked hard for years to develop a robot and have used this technology to create a product that responds to the way the coronavirus has reshaped society,” said Taisuke Ono, chief executive officer of Donut Robotics.
Donut Robotics engineers came up with the idea for the mask while they were looking for a product to help the company survive the pandemic. When the coronavirus struck, it had just concluded a contract to provide robotic guides and translators at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport, a product that faces an uncertain future after the collapse of air travel.
The first 5,000 c masks from Donut Robotics will be shipped to buyers in Japan from September, with Ono looking to sell in China, the United States and Europe as well. There has been keen interest, he said.
At around $ 40 per mask, Donut Robotics is targeting a mass market that did not exist a few months ago. One of the goals, he said, is to generate revenue from subscriber services offered through an app that users can download.
Donut Robotics built a connected mask prototype in one month by adapting translation software developed for his robot and a mask design that one of the company’s engineers, Shunsuke Fujibayashi, created four years ago for a student project to interpret speech by mapping facial muscles.
Ono raised 28 million yen ($ 260,000) for development by selling shares of Donut Robotics through the Japanese crowdfunding site Fundinno.
“We raised our original target of 7 million yen in three minutes and stopped after 37 minutes when we reached 28 million yen,” he said.
(With the exception of the title, this story was not edited by GalacticGaming staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
