Japan: Japanese Startup Develops Smart Mask That Transcribes Speech And Translates Languages

Donut Robotics, a tech startup in Japan, has recently introduced a smart mask that aims to improve speech interactions for people who wear face masks to prevent COVID-19.

The smart mask dubbed, C-Face, is made of soft plastic material that is meant to fit over the regular face masks worn by the public. It has a built-in microphone and holes at the front for easy breathing.

It also has Bluetooth technology that can be connected to either a smartphone or tablet via an app. The mask can record conversations, complete phone calls, transcribe speech to text and translate Japanese into eight other languages including Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, English, Korean, Spanish and French.

In addition to that, the startup plans to include augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) functions in the near future.

Commenting on the smart mask, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Donut Robotics, Taisuke Ono stated that the company has worked hard to develop a robot and has used that technology to “create a product that responds to how the coronavirus has reshaped society”.

The startup is currently seeking funding on Japanese crowdfunding site, Fundinno, where it already raised $265,000 in just 37 minutes.

5,000 units of C-Face smart masks will be launched in Japan and shipped to buyers in September at a price of $37.

The company is also looking forward to selling the masks in China, Europe and the United States of America (USA).