BioVYZR 1.0
While definitely funk and futuristic in its appearance, the BioVYZR 1.0 - which, by the way, isn't even from the land of funk that is Japan, it's from Canada! - is nowhere near the craziest face mask or headwear EDC I've ever seen. And I'm not even talking about PPE, or protective gear that's come out in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Check out the Hovding, an airbag bicycle helmet you wear around your neck. Or the Nubrella, a wearable umbrella that covers your head like a dome. Or, my personal favorite, the Helmfon, a noise canceller that looks like a supersized Mega Man helmet.
My point is, while the BioVYZR definitely looks like a high-end hazmat headpiece, or maybe a new line of astronaut streetwear, it's not so foreign or off putting to me that I'd refuse to wear it.
That one day we all might have to wear something like a BioVYZR to avoid illness (or lung-stifling pollution), now that thought on the other hand is a little more disturbing.
VYZR Technologies created the BioVYZR 1.0 only recently, in March 2020, in direct response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It is a more affordable - and better designed - take on a Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR), which can run around $1,800. The BioVYZR obviously has a 360-degree connection to wearers, fitting not just over their face and head, but creating a dome-like shield that starts 6 or so inches above the head, and extends down to the chest, where it secures under the arms like a harness.
BioVYZR provides protection from environmental onslaught on all sides, combining a large anti-fog face shield with a built-in air purifying system. The aire purifying system uses a motor-powered fan to pull in outside air, running them through 2 x N95 filters before they reach you. VYZR Technologies says the BioVYZR filters the air you output as well, preventing the potential release of pathogens with your own breathing.
And since we're all such touchy-feely kids, especially when told not to touch or feel something, the sealed nature of the BioVYZR also puts the kibosh on any attempt to get your hands on your face.
The BioVYZR 1.0 recently passed its crowdfunding trials on IndieGoGo, and is now available for pre-order to anyone who missed the opportunity to back the campaign, but still wants to test out the germ shield for themselves.
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