Masks

Wearing face masks and maintaining social distances were a significant part of the world's reaction to the COVID-19 pandemic. Now, new research says the practices are not only effective at saving human lives, but chimp lives as well.

Many people still often wear masks, either to keep from spreading viruses that they've got, or to manage a respiratory problem. An experimental new mask takes things a step further, by analyzing its wearer's breath to check their state of health.

A new device has been shown to protect wearers from airborne viruses while leaving their face mask-free. It blocks microbes via a curtain of air which has itself been pretreated to kill any viruses present within it.

The REM stage of sleep plays an important role in learning, memory and brain development. Currently, lab-based tests are required to gauge how much REM sleep a person is getting. The SomaSleep mask, however, is claimed to let users do so at home.

While it's still important to wear a face mask in many situations, that mask won't be fully effective if it doesn't fit properly. That's why a team at MIT has designed a device to assess how well a mask fits an individual user, quickly and easily.

For the last few years, Kevin Ngo has spent his spare time developing a new kind of reusable face mask. The resulting Flo Mask is a radically different take on face masks: light, comfortable, and as protective as any disposable mask around.

As most of us have noticed over the past couple of years, face masks can sometimes be a hassle – necessary though they are. An experimental new mask, though, automatically becomes easier to breathe through when maximum air filtration isn't required.

The James Dyson Award is an international competition to encourage students to get creative to solve the world's pressing problems. The national finalists have been announced for 2021, showcasing ideas that help people and the environment.

LG has updated its PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier mask by incorporating a microphone and speaker to make it easier to talk. The new device will appear first in Thailand in August with other parts of the world to follow.

Scientists at RMIT University are continually coming up with ways to work recovered waste items into high-performing road materials. The latest is made with help from shredded face masks and they claim it offers some unique engineering advantages.

Gaming brand Razer looks to the future of face masks with its Project Hazel, a reusable transparent mask concept with detachable filters, a built-in mic and amplifier, and Chroma RGB LED lights for those keen on embracing some cyberpunk techno flair.

A new flow visualization study from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) starkly demonstrates why face masks with exhalation valves are not effective for slowing the spread of COVID-19.