Japanese startup creates "connected" face mask for coronavirus new normal

Japanese startup Donut Robotics' c-mask and its mobile phone application during a demonstration in Tokyo, Japan June 23. — Kim Kyung-Hoon/Reuters

TOKYO: As face coverings become the norm amid the coronavirus pandemic, Japanese startup Donut Robotics has developed an Internet-connected "smart mask" that can transmit messages and translate from Japanese into eight other languages.

The white plastic "c-mask" fits over 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 mask wearer's voice.