Wearing a mask is one of the effective ways to tackle the spread of coronavirus. But many of us find it difficult to unlock our phone with face ID while wearing a mask. Huami wants to make it easier for you to do this task. The Chinese tech giant, best known for its Amazfit wearable devices, is working on a transparent N95-like face mask that allows wearers to unlock their phone while wearing it and also clean itself.
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When news of people having difficulties unlocking their devices first began to surface, Huami announced it was working on a mask that will allow wearers to unlock their phone using Face ID without having to take off the mask. Huami has now shared drawings of what the mask looks like.
Many US cities require their residents to wear masks in public. However, people are now relying on cloth masks because N95 and surgical masks are both reserved for health care workers.
Although these types of masks are helpful in containing the virus, they have significant drawbacks. They fail to filter out small air particles, they’re not well ventilated and they have to be washed properly on a regular basis. Also, you’d find it very difficult to unlock your phone using facial recognition while you’re wearing this mask, reports CNet.
Huami’s Amazfit Aeri mask is supposed to solve most of these problems. The mask contains removable air filters and built-in ultraviolet light emitters. Simply plug the mask after every use into a USB-C plug for a few minutes, and it’ll disinfect itself. This would allow each filter to be effective for one and a half months, said a Huami spokesperson. That’s much longer than the current eight hours N95 masks are good for.
It should be noted that according to US FDA specification, N95 mask should block 95% of all particles (hence the name N95). But it’s not clear whether Huami’s Amazfit Aeri mask meets this requirement.
The Amazfit Aeri is a transparent mask, and according to Huami it’ll be made of anti-fog material, which will make it easier to unlock your phone using Face ID.
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The company is currently making prototypes of the new masks but said it will likely take six months to a year to make it available in the market. Huami didn’t say anything about the price but said it plans to make it as affordable as its other products.
