Pandemic Fashion

JabberMask: LED COVID 19 Mask Transcript

This is a New Atlas story by Michael Irving. I don’t know how I came across this but once I did, it stuck out like a sore thumb. I had to talk about it.

Expressionless Masks

You’ve been to a grocery store and maybe you’ve had this–I feel like I’ve had it, this experience before–of going to a grocery store. It just feels like everybody is actively hating you. Because they’re all wearing masks and you can’t see anybody smiling. So it’s like, what’s going on here? This is, kind of, this would solve this problem.

Tyler Glaiel

There’s a guy named Tyler Glaiel, I think is how you pronounce his last name. He’s a game designer. And because there’s no expression when you have a mask on, is looking to solve that problem.

Voice-Activated COVID Mask

So he has created a product called JabberMask. And it’s a voice-activated COVID mask. So it has LED readout–LED (liquid diode emitting lights)–that move when you talk. It’s voice-activated. You can smile and it’ll create a smile on the mask.

Emoji Display

It can display emojis on demand. So you can like have a love heart. You can have simple words on it, like “no” or “okay.” If you want to quickly smile you just make a sound, popping sound. The lips are…there we go.

Washable Mask

The protective part that keeps–you know–keeps you safe is a simple cotton mask and those are like most people have. They can be removed from the electronic components so you can wash them. There’s straps that go all the way around your head and in the back is where the battery pack is.

JabberMask Versions

So there’s three different versions. There’s the JabberMask Light, which is the basic model: A six-by-six LED grid, which is able to display a moving mouth and smile. It’s powered by four triple-A batteries. So it kind of feels like maybe it’d be a little heavy that way? JabberMask Deluxe has eight-by-eight LED grid and a rechargeable battery. And JabberMask Pro has all that plus emoji support that you can control through an Android or iOS app.

Kickstarter Funding

He’s currently seeking funding on Kickstarter for it. So the price–the pledges start at $29 for the Light version, $49 for Deluxe, $69 for the Pro. And if all goes to plan, he should begin shipping in May 2021.

So I just want to say: Pat, one of our listeners, is a big Kickstarter investor. So, here you go Pat! Here’s another thing to try out.