Translation tools, air purifiers: face masks go high-tech

By Catherine Lai and Harumi Ozawa

Technology
Wednesday, 21 Oct 2020
2:30 PM MYT

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A research fellow from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Nanyang Technology University wearing a face mask installed with sensors which transmit via Bluetooth readings of a person’s skin temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and blood oxygen levels to a mobile application in Singapore. — AFP

SINGAPORE: From monitoring vital signs to filtering filthy air and even translating speech into other languages, the coronavirus-fuelled boom in mask-wearing has spawned an unusual range of high-tech face coverings.

As masks become the norm worldwide, tech companies and researchers are rolling out weird and wonderful models to both guard against infection and cash in on a growing trend.

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A research fellow from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Nanyang Technology University wearing a face mask installed with sensors which transmit via Bluetooth readings of a person’s skin temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and blood oxygen levels to a mobile application in Singapore. — AFP

Ono posing for a photo with the smart mask ‘C-face’ with its mobile phone app in his studio following an interview with AFP in Tokyo. — AFP

A research fellow from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Nanyang Technology University demonstrating a face mask installed with sensors which transmit via Bluetooth readings of a person's skin temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and blood oxygen levels to a mobile application in Singapore. — AFP

Professor Chen Xiaodon from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Nanyang Technological University talking to an AFP reporter about the development of a face mask that can monitor vital health information. — AFP

A face mask installed with sensors which transmit via Bluetooth readings of a person’s skin temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and blood oxygen levels to a mobile application at the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Nanyang Technology University in Singapore. — AFP

Loh said as many frontline workers will be exposed to patients when they are taking their vital signs and therefore risk exposure to the coronavirus, ‘we wanted to think about a way to reduce such risk’. — AFP

A face mask developed in Singapore is aimed at protecting medics treating Covid-19 patients. — AFP

face mask developed in Singapore is aimed at protecting medics treating Covid-19 patients. — AFP

Ono showing the interior of the smart mask ‘C-face’ in his studio following an interview with AFP in Tokyo. — AFP

Ono demonstrates the smart mask ‘C-face’ in his studio in Tokyo. — AFP

Ono (back) and Ryutaro Urushiyama (front) demonstrating the voice-to-text function of the smart mask ‘C-face’ in their studio in Tokyo. — AFP

Ono (left) and Ryutaro Urushiyama (right) demonstrating the voice-to-text function of the smart mask ‘C-face’ in their studio in Tokyo. — AFP

Donut Robotics raised nearly 100mil yen (RM3.93mil) via crowdfunding to develop the mask, a success Ono believes was driven by a desire for innovations to make life easier during the pandemic. ‘We may be able to fight the virus with technology, with human wisdom,’ he said. — AFP

Ono demonstrating the translation function of the smart mask ‘C-face’ in his studio in Tokyo. — AFP

Ono believes the lightweight silicone device could have immediate benefits for people such as doctors who want to communicate with patients from a distance. — AFP

The smart mask ‘C-face’ can translate speech from Japanese into English, Korean and other languages – a function that will become more useful once travel restrictions are eventually eased. — AFP

A face mask installed with sensors which transmit via Bluetooth readings of a person’s skin temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and blood oxygen levels to a mobile application at the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Nanyang Technology University in Singapore. — AFP

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Technology Covid-19 Watch Japan Singapore South Korea

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Symbol	Open	High	Low	Last	Chg	%Chg	Vol ('00)
HSI-CWEQ	0.165	0.165	0.145	0.145	-0.020	-12.12	1,364,557
HSI-CWEH	0.225	0.225	0.210	0.210	-0.015	-6.67	1,236,585
HSI-CWGA	0.120	0.120	0.100	0.105	-0.015	-12.50	712,237
MYEG	0.925	0.945	0.920	0.945	0.015	1.61	641,524
HSI-PWFI	0.110	0.115	0.110	0.115	0.005	4.55	464,858
HSI-PWFS	0.105	0.105	0.100	0.105	0.000	0.00	445,535
HSI-PWHB	0.085	0.090	0.085	0.085	0.000	0.00	444,509
TANCO	1.000	1.030	1.000	1.030	0.030	3.00	394,194
GAMUDA	4.750	4.790	4.720	4.770	0.030	0.63	279,786
HSI-CWC6	0.215	0.220	0.195	0.195	-0.020	-9.30	266,154
KPJ	2.780	2.810	2.750	2.750	-0.030	-1.08	252,777
SAG	0.695	0.720	0.685	0.710	0.010	1.43	228,050
YINSON	2.100	2.390	2.090	2.340	0.240	11.43	227,720
SEACERA	0.055	0.060	0.030	0.035	-0.030	-46.15	214,841
YTL	2.030	2.060	1.980	2.050	0.020	0.99	210,229

Translation tools, air purifiers: face masks go high-tech

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Ono posing for a photo with the smart mask ‘C-face’ with its mobile phone app in his studio following an interview with AFP in Tokyo. — AFP

Professor Chen Xiaodon from the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Nanyang Technological University talking to an AFP reporter about the development of a face mask that can monitor vital health information. — AFP

A face mask installed with sensors which transmit via Bluetooth readings of a person’s skin temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and blood oxygen levels to a mobile application at the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Nanyang Technology University in Singapore. — AFP

Loh said as many frontline workers will be exposed to patients when they are taking their vital signs and therefore risk exposure to the coronavirus, ‘we wanted to think about a way to reduce such risk’. — AFP

A face mask developed in Singapore is aimed at protecting medics treating Covid-19 patients. — AFP

face mask developed in Singapore is aimed at protecting medics treating Covid-19 patients. — AFP

Ono showing the interior of the smart mask ‘C-face’ in his studio following an interview with AFP in Tokyo. — AFP

Ono demonstrates the smart mask ‘C-face’ in his studio in Tokyo. — AFP

Ono (back) and Ryutaro Urushiyama (front) demonstrating the voice-to-text function of the smart mask ‘C-face’ in their studio in Tokyo. — AFP

Ono (left) and Ryutaro Urushiyama (right) demonstrating the voice-to-text function of the smart mask ‘C-face’ in their studio in Tokyo. — AFP

Donut Robotics raised nearly 100mil yen (RM3.93mil) via crowdfunding to develop the mask, a success Ono believes was driven by a desire for innovations to make life easier during the pandemic. ‘We may be able to fight the virus with technology, with human wisdom,’ he said. — AFP

Ono demonstrating the translation function of the smart mask ‘C-face’ in his studio in Tokyo. — AFP

Ono believes the lightweight silicone device could have immediate benefits for people such as doctors who want to communicate with patients from a distance. — AFP

The smart mask ‘C-face’ can translate speech from Japanese into English, Korean and other languages – a function that will become more useful once travel restrictions are eventually eased. — AFP

A face mask installed with sensors which transmit via Bluetooth readings of a person’s skin temperature, blood pressure, heart rate and blood oxygen levels to a mobile application at the School of Materials Science and Engineering at the Nanyang Technology University in Singapore. — AFP

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