Photos – Blanc ©
A team of entrepreneurs, product designers and PPE specialists have unveiled a full-face modular mask called Blanc. It covers the users’ eyes, nose and mouth, while FDA-approved HEPA filters protect them from 99% of particles, including dust, mists and aerosols. The filters seamlessly fit into the mask frame providing leak-free filtration for several days. Blanc owners can always tell when it’s time to change the filters thanks to a built-in visual colour scale.
Blanc is a thousand masks in one: its front panel is changeable, with any material, colour and texture, channelling only the harmonies the owner is willing to share with the world. Front panels take several seconds to change and readjust, they are gently fixed by magnets recessed into the mask frame.
Maria Lapuk, Blanc co-founder, said: “Wearing a mask is literally the easiest thing one can do to help people not die right now. We happen to live in a COVID era, where we have to wear masks just like people in the early twentieth century had to wear their long hats to prevent lice and flea bites which could lead to a bubonic plague outbreak. This doesn’t mean though that masks should be all safety and no fun. Masks do rob people of their personality, so we decided to give something in return, perhaps a bit more than just the safety and comfort of breathing clean air.”
Existing respirators typically require a lot of ear and head loops adjustment, which can pinch the scalp and pull down on the ears. Blanc adjusts to individual anatomical features of the face and head making for a supremely comfortable fit. The mask consists of two vertical symmetrical parts which fold together. Using a simple “face wash” gesture with the palms of your hands, the mask is fitted. Midline magnets gently fix Blanc over the face, while retractable tape provides fixation in the parietal zone, at the rear top of the head.
Designed by renowned product visionaries and PPE specialists, it effortlessly filters harmful particles. It also provides a unique opportunity to broadcast yourself in an original and eloquent way that reflects mood and individuality.
Philipp Egorov, Blanc co-founder, said: “Blanc filtrates air because it has been designed to do so by the best PPE specialists. As for our mission, I love to think that it is to give people the opportunity to regain control over at least some personal data. It may seem that while wearing Blanc, users lose their personality. What really happens is, Blanc instead allows a wearer to decide which emotions to share, moods to channel, and vibes to transmit. It may seem counter-intuitive, but it actually means more freedom and individuality, not less.”
Blanc’s Team is supported by industry-leading designers: Woodenshark, product team behind the concept, has also brought to life Nimb, a personal security ring with a panic button that topped Kickstarter’s ratings in 2017, and Cherry Home, a best-selling in-home seniors care and monitoring system.
Dmitry Gorilovsky, the founder of Woodenshark, said: “I was mesmerized by the vision Blanc founders presented. An unorthodox product philosophy allowed us to implement some bold constructive approach. Blanc’s modular structure, a frame that maximizes usable space and does away with unnecessary details, allows for the creation of an entirely new mask concept that can be pretty much anything. It can be personal protective equipment, an accessory, sportswear, a privacy keeper, a tech gadget, a smart health wearable, an AR inventory and so on.
“We are piloting Blanc 1.0 as a fully analogue device, devoid of electronic components. We think of it as a core element in a wider ecosystem. Implementing specific modules such as Bluetooth, voice modulator and internal climate control are the preliminary baby steps after we get initial feedback from the market.”
Blanc founders have invested approximately $500k of personal funds into the concept development, materials testing and evaluation, and sourcing. For example, the passive UVC air cleansing module planned originally as the air filtering solution has been changed to a combined active HEPA/charcoal filtering module as during research and testing it became clear there was a lack of evidence to support the use of UVC as effective and safe.
Blanc pre-orders are open on the project’s website. The estimated delivery time for Blanc 1.0 is September-October 2020. The company will ship the masks worldwide with 3 different changeable panels and 3 filtering complects by default. Customers will also be able to create and order customized Blanc front panels of their own design and texture.
