The Invisivisor Mask: See Some Smiles

Since writing the blog post in July on Invisivisor, Mannequino’s piolucent approach to face coverings, the UK has since gotten quite used to the sight and experience of wide-spread mask usage. Indeed, by hindering the transmission of droplets, face masks are still an essential way of combating the pandemic. That said, even though we may have grown more accustomed to face coverings than we might have been in July, this does not hide the fact that conventional masks still detract from human socialisation.

Humans find pleasure in reading emotions from others’ facial expressions, which are obscured whilst wearing opaque and distracting face coverings. Most drastically affected by this are deaf people who rely wholly on seeing mouths for understanding, but those with more minor hearing difficulties are also impacted.

The design principles behind Mannequino’s see-through, Invisivisor addressed these issues, allowing full visibility of the user’s entire face, making for easier human interaction. Now these principles have gone towards Mannequino’s latest innovation in a complementary facemask: the Invisivisor mask.

In the same vein as the parent Invisivisor, this face mask is likewise designed to be super-lightweight, adjustable, and reusable, whilst offering transmission-hinderance without compromise on communication.

Made of highly durable plastic, the Invisivisor mask can be flattened, rolled up and easily put into handbags or pockets when not needed, as well as disassembled. It is also fully recyclable, which in comparison to cheap cloth masks or expensive, industrial-style face masks make them a more sustainable alternative. Additionally, these other masks are not particularly robust and are also difficult to re-use safely due to the material retaining infectious material. Meanwhile, the Invisivisor mask can be easily cleaned with either hot water and soap or antibacterial wipes, before being ready to use again; they can also be popped in the dishwasher.

Moreover, traditional masks often cause discomforts like overheating, itchy skin, or constantly fogging up glasses. Meanwhile, the Invisivisor mask does not have these disadvantages. Instead, air flow is maintained under the chin by the inwardly pointed skirt of the Invisivisor mask and around the sides of the face by carefully positioned pores, allowing the user to keep cool and breathe without any problems.

Complete with an accommodating strap and toggle, and weighing only 5 grams, it is easy to forget the Invisivisor mask is there at all. Indeed, this is the intention of the Invisivisor mask, being especially designed to be as aesthetically discrete as possible, with its lines contouring the face; keeping attention not on the mask, but on your talking mouth, as human interaction should be. This also means that unlocking your phone with your face is not impossible like it often is with traditional face coverings.

Made at Mannequino’s site at ARCC Innovations in Cambridge, the Invisivisor mask is available to buy on Invisivisor’s website. From £18 (excluding shipping), the Invisivisor mask is the one-purchase, invisible mask that you can keep using.

With the threat of the virus still large, you can at least look forward to seeing each other’s faces as we step back towards normality thanks to the Invisivisor mask.