William Adams, better known for his stage name Will.i.am, is using his creativity to help protect people from the lingering coronavirus – and is doing so with the latest technology.
The rapper has developed ‘Xupermask,’ which is a $299 ‘smart mask’ that features built-in noise-cancelling headphones similar to Apple’s AirPods, along with a charging port and LED lights at the front.
Will.i.am, who is founding member of the Black Eyed Peas, teamed up with a number of big names to make the ‘smart mask,’ including Honeywell and Hollywood costume designer Jose Fernandez who designed SpaceX‘s iconic white suits.
The sci-fi-like face covering features Honeywell’s HEPA filtration system housed inside a silicon mask with mesh fabric lining the sides – all of which ‘sits snug on the face.’
‘We are living in sci-fi times,’ Will.i.am said.
The coronavirus pandemic, he said, ‘is straight out of a friggin’ movie.
‘But we are wearing masks from yesterday’s movie. So I wanted to make a mask to fit the era that we’re in.’
The story of Xupermask begins in the summer of 2020, when much of the US and world are under some type of lockdown due to the coronavirus.
Will.i.am (left), who is founding member of the Black Eyed Peas, teamed up with a number of big names to make the ‘smart mask,’ including Honeywell and Hollywood costume designer Jose Fernandez (right) who designed SpaceX’s iconic white suits
Marc Benioff, chief executive of Salesforce, was watching the MTV Video Music Awards when Will.i.am walked on stage sporting a face covering that looked like a combination of a gas mask and a space helmet – and the bizarre device sparked the path to Xupermask.
Benioff connected the rapper with the CEO of Honeywell, Darius Adamczyk, with the hopes of using the company’s infiltration system.
After nailing down the proctective gear, the team moved on to the design and chose to work with Fernandez, who is known for his Hollywood designs used in ‘Black Panther,’ ‘The Avengers’ and ‘X-Men 2.’
‘We created XUPERMASK to change the game of our new normal. In this new age of style and security, XUPERMASK is an uncompromising face mask design with high-tech performance for the modern lifestyle,’ Will.i.am shared in a statement
‘Alongside Honeywell, we’ve engineered a state-of-the-art Smart Mask to provide function with style.’
Xupermask features a silicon face seal and is secured to the head by an elastic strap that can be adjusted to fit various face shapes.
Housed inside is a dual three-speed fan system and HEPA filters, along with a seven-hour battery to power all of the tech features.
Powered by a 7-hour battery, the XUPERMASK is unlike any other wearable tech product on the market.
The mask comes in two color combinations: white/gray/orange and black/black/orange.
And is set to go on sale Thursday, April 8.
Source: dailymail
