WEARABLE TECH: FACE MASK LAUNCH TO COMBAT LONDON’S GROWING POLLUTION CRISIS
Cambridge Mask Company launches their smart pollution mask campaign on Kickstarter. Starting from only £18.00 GBP ($23.25), the SmartValve technology creates the world’s first connected mask, helping people manage their respiratory health better.
Air pollution kills seven million people per year according to the WHO, more than murders, suicides and car crashes combined, someone every four seconds. Over 9,000 Londoners died prematurely due to pollution in 2015, and premature deaths in the United Kingdom have reached 39,730 according to the European Environment Agency. This is from a combination of tiny PM2.5 particles, nitrogen dioxide and ozone pollution. In the UK, air pollution has become a major source of concern for many, as cities across the country frequently breach WHO and EU pollution limits. Research now shows that the average UK resident has a six month shorter lifespan due to air pollution.
Now an innovating British wearable-tech company, have come up with a solution to combat pollution-related deaths in urban residents around the world.
The Cambridge Mask Company have just launched the world’s first ‘Smart Mask’. The mask has three high-tech filters that were created by the British military for use in chemical, nuclear, and biological attacks and treated with silver to even absorb and kill viruses and bacteria, and to prevent the inhalation of other gases such as toxic nitrogen oxide, that is produced from diesel fumes.
“We are helping to solve the fundamental requirement for people to better understand what and how they breathe” says Christopher Dobbing, the Founder and CEO of Cambridge Mask Company.
“I found wearing a mask in public a little odd at first” says Dr Tomaz Slivnik, a Cambridge resident “I travel frequently and used to get sick a lot. Now I wear the masks on the flight and have not picked up a bug since I started using it. I am really looking forward to trying out the smart mask”
The bluetooth sensor in the valve measures the wearer’s breathing patterns and tells them when they need to change the filter. The mask connects to an app on your phone that actively monitors the air quality index (also known as AQI), telling the user when the air may be hazardous and they need to put on the mask. The app has a family feature that allows the main user to register their family members’ masks too.
The masks are aimed at urban residents who are exposed to higher air pollution levels as well as cyclists, allergy sufferers and those with low immune systems or chemical sensitivities.
The Cambridge Mask Company creates a range of adjustable masks, there are 5 sizes that fit from age 2+ andcome in an array of colours and designs to give customers a wide choice of styles.
The company is aiming to raise £25,000 ($32,000) to take the concept to market. The development has taken nearly two years, with prototype and patent already developed.
The campaign will run from May 30th to June 29th.
