Masks

Over the past couple of years, disposable face masks have become a very plentiful form of garbage. There may actually be a use for them, however, as recent research shows that they could strengthen concrete when added to it.

As important as face masks are in our current pandemic-riddled world, they have a major environmental impact. Now scientists have demonstrated a novel method for disposing of old masks by using them to make low-cost, flexible and efficient batteries.

Healthcare workers often have to wear masks for up to 12 continuous hours, during which time they may become seriously exhausted. A new mask-mounted device is designed to help, by monitoring their vital signs and detecting leaks in the mask's seal.

At the RazerCon 2021 livestream event, Razer launched new Kraken headsets with HyperSense haptic feedback technology cooked in, adding another immersive dimension to gameplay by converting sound signals into "dynamic touch-sensory feedback."

Diving deep underwater while holding your breath can be risky, which is why many freedivers wear a dive computer on their wrist. The face-worn Oxama device is claimed to offer several advantages, including the fact that it speaks to its wearer.

As most of us have noticed over the past couple of years, face masks can sometimes be a hassle – necessary though they are. An experimental new mask, though, automatically becomes easier to breathe through when maximum air filtration isn't required.

The James Dyson Award is an international competition to encourage students to get creative to solve the world's pressing problems. The national finalists have been announced for 2021, showcasing ideas that help people and the environment.

LG has updated its PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier mask by incorporating a microphone and speaker to make it easier to talk. The new device will appear first in Thailand in August with other parts of the world to follow.

It looks like something straight out of dystopian sci-fi, but then here we are. Biotlab has presented a neck-mounted wearable that provides you with a range of magnetic face shields, and a personal supply of HEPA-filtered, UV-sterilized air.

Scientists at RMIT University are continually coming up with ways to work recovered waste items into high-performing road materials. The latest is made with help from shredded face masks and they claim it offers some unique engineering advantages.

Gaming brand Razer looks to the future of face masks with its Project Hazel, a reusable transparent mask concept with detachable filters, a built-in mic and amplifier, and Chroma RGB LED lights for those keen on embracing some cyberpunk techno flair.

A new flow visualization study from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) starkly demonstrates why face masks with exhalation valves are not effective for slowing the spread of COVID-19.