Donut Robotics came up with the idea out of desperation as the company needed a product to sell during the pandemic. The coronavirus outbreak resulted in the loss of an order for robot guides and translators from Tokyo’s Haneda Airport and the company is uncertain about future demand for these products. It took the firm just one month to develop a prototype mask and the design was created by Donut Robotics engineer Shunsuke Fujibayashi. The latter had developed the mask to help interpret speech by mapping face muscles. The money to create the product, equivalent to $260,000, came from the sale of Donut Robotics shares through crowdfunding site Fundinno.
Starting in September, the first 5,000 masks are scheduled to be shipped to Japan. The company is looking to do business in the U.S., Europe, and China and says that there has been strong interest in the product.
Now that a smart mask is added to the list of all things “smart,” what mundane product will receive a technological makeover next?
