Article of the Month – May 2022
May 1, 2022Apple Watch ®
June 1, 2022Active+Halo Smart Mask
Chinese based AirPop is the first “Air Wearables” company and has recently released the first smart mask...
The COVID pandemic has made masks a part of the layperson’s everyday life rather than a feature of labs and operating rooms. With the onset of the pandemic, many public health institutions such as the CDC began recommending the use of facial masks as a virus containment measure. Consequently, a new field of research was developed, driven by the need to create ergonomic and efficient face covers widely accepted by the public. Even AI-focused companies have joined the quest.
The Chinese company Airpop, part of Xiaomi, is the world’s first “air wearables” company, founded in China in 2015. The company has developed the Active+ Halo Smart mask, inspired by Chris Hosmer, whose 2-year-old was affected by respiratory illnesses caused by air pollution. (1)
The Active+ Halo Smart Mask not only functions as a protective device but as a smart wearable gadget due to its AI properties. It combines air filtration with smart sensors that measure breathing range and pollutant levels and cross-reference local pollution reports. Its Halo sensor, coupled with the AirPop smartphone app, helps the wearer better understand respiratory health. The app displays visual overviews of breathing behavior, cycles, and details on the pollutants the mask has blocked while being worn. (2,3)
About Active+ Halo Smart Mask
Active+ Halo Smart Mask has a 360o Ergonomic Flex Frame with a superlight internal chassis that maintains the correct structure, shape, and fit. The mask is equipped with two Soft-Touch membranes that increase surface area for optimal sealing, providing a 100% airlock barrier. Its softshell is humidity and water-resistant.(4)
The mask’s replaceable filters hold up to 40 hours of use. The five-layer filter core is electrostatically charged for bidirectionally blocking ultrafine particles greater than 0.3μ. AirPop claims the mask exceeds Community Face Coverings CWA 17553:2020 guidelines with a filtration efficiency and bacterial filtration efficiency of 99.3% and 99.9%, respectively. These results reflect an effective barrier between the user and its environment.(4)
Active+ Halo Smart Mask has a 360o Ergonomic Flex Frame with a superlight internal chassis that maintains the correct structure, shape, and fit. The mask is equipped with two Soft-Touch membranes that increase surface area for optimal sealing, providing a 100% airlock barrier. Its softshell is humidity and water-resistant.(4)
The mask’s replaceable filters hold up to 40 hours of use. The five-layer filter core is electrostatically charged for bidirectionally blocking ultrafine particles greater than 0.3μ. AirPop claims the mask exceeds Community Face Coverings CWA 17553:2020 guidelines with a filtration efficiency and bacterial filtration efficiency of 99.3% and 99.9%, respectively. These results reflect an effective barrier between the user and its environment.(4)
AirPop incorporated a Halo sensor in the mask powered by a coin-cell battery durable for six months. This smart sensor measures pollutant levels and cross-references local pollution reports to let users know when to replace the filter. Halo’s sensor array detects when the wearer starts breathing and then syncs the breathing data via Bluetooth with the app. An inhale/exhale LED ring indicates breathing rate and supports real-time or background passive modes. The app can share the health data it gathers through Apple HealthKit. (5,6)
The device has gained recognition at the CES (Consumers Electronics Show) in Las Vegas, Nevada. This year there were numerous new health tech announcements, but the Active+ Halo Smart Mask by AirPop received the most attention from the online audience, according to The Irish Mail. (1)
Advantages and disadvantages
The Active+ Halo Smart Mask has an adaptive and contoured fit that prevents leakage and fogging. It also has a highly effective filtration barrier that protects against various airborne threats (ecologic, pathogenic, and anthropogenic). The mask is also made of hypoallergenic materials to minimize skin irritation and reactions.
The Halo sensor allows the wearer to monitor breathing rate during rest and exercise. It transmits data directly to the phone through the app available for both iOS and Android. Thus, providing easily accessible data to the users.
Conclusion
Even though masks have only recently become the norm because of the COVID pandemic, likely, they came here to stay. The pandemic is expected to increase awareness of airborne pathogens and air pollution.
AirPop created the first “Air wearable” Active+ Halo Smart Mask, which filters the three major airborne threats: pathogenic (such as SARS CoV2), anthropogenic (human-made emissions), and ecologic (such as wildfires or dust storms). It is also equipped with smart technology that allows users to become better informed of their breathing rates, cycle, and surrounding pollutants. Looking into the present and thinking about the future, a smart face mask would likely be a good investment.
Even though masks have only recently become the norm because of the COVID pandemic, likely, they came here to stay. The pandemic is expected to increase awareness of airborne pathogens and air pollution.
AirPop created the first “Air wearable” Active+ Halo Smart Mask, which filters the three major airborne threats: pathogenic (such as SARS CoV2), anthropogenic (human-made emissions), and ecologic (such as wildfires or dust storms). It is also equipped with smart technology that allows users to become better informed of their breathing rates, cycle, and surrounding pollutants. Looking into the present and thinking about the future, a smart face mask would likely be a good investment.