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Voice Mask Носимо устройство за заглушаване на гласа by Kunihiko Sato Innovation Laboratory

Voice Mask Носимо устройство за заглушаване на гласа by Kunihiko Sato Innovation Laboratory is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2022 Бронзова награда A' Design Award in Социален дизайн Competition Category.


БронзСоциален· 2022

Voice Mask Носимо устройство за заглушаване на гласа

by Kunihiko Sato Innovation Laboratory

Client: Innovation Laboratory, Inc.

Бронзова награда A' Design Award Winner in Социален Category

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Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #137061

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The Design

About Voice Mask Носимо устройство за заглушаване на гласа

Voice Mask е концептуално носимо устройство, което заглушава изговореното от потребителя на глас. Технологията за активно шумопотискане се използва за маскиране на гласа чрез излъчване на противоположна звукова вълна. Voice Mask поддържа провеждането на онлайн срещи на публични места, като голям офис или кафене. Устройството помага за предотвратяване на разкриването на поверителна информация и избягва обезпокояването на намиращите се наблизо хора. При употреба Voice Mask се носи около врата и се позиционира да покрива устата, по начин подобен на държач за хармоника. Сгъваемото тяло е изработено чрез инжекционно леене на пластмаса и е лесно за пренасяне.

The Recognition

About the Бронзова награда A' Design Award

Voice Mask Носимо устройство за заглушаване на гласа е носител на Бронзовата награда A' Design Award — високо престижно признание, присъждано на изключителни дизайни, които се отличават с творчество, изобретателност и проницателност. Бронзовите победители са изобилно умели и поразително творчески артефакти, които удостоверяват богатия опит, въображение и находчивост на своите дизайнери. Очаква се Voice Mask Носимо устройство за заглушаване на гласа да бъде високо ценен, възхищаван и обичан предмет, забележително професионален и иновативен. Този дизайн, спечелил Бронзовата награда A' Design Award, включва най-добрите практики в изкуството, науката, дизайна и технологиите и е отличен с вниманието си към детайла. Voice Mask Носимо устройство за заглушаване на гласа великолепно удовлетворява нуждите, докосва желанията, очарова чувствата и привлича любопитството.

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
Voice Mask is a concept wearable device that mutes whatever you say aloud while wearing it. It utilises noise-cancelling technology to mask the user's voice by emitting the opposite sound wave. Voice Mask can be used when participating in online meetings in a public space to avoid bothering others and to protect confidential information. When in use, the Voice Mask is worn around the neck and positioned to cover the user's mouth. As it is foldable, it is also easy to carry around.
Dimensions & Packaging
W150mm x D50mm x H99mm (folded)
W150mm x D98mm x H205mm (unfolded)
Tags
Wearable Device, Product Design, Social Design, Invention, Mask, Covid-19, Home Office, Privacy, Headset, Microphone
Production Technology
Plastic Injection Molding
Design Challenge
Another design challenge was figuring out the best solution for securing a heavy device around the mouth. We researched similar devices that already exist in the world, such as headphones and mouse shields to finally decide on a necklace-like design inspired by harmonica holders used while playing the guitar.
Research
In the process of applying for a patent for an idea, the inventors conducted interviews with acoustic experts (PhD students in audio technology) to verify the technical certainty. Their feedback was that although technically challenging, it was possible to cancel sounds that are diffusing into open space. This encouraged the inventors to go forward with filing for a patent. In the process of considering the design, the team created product renders and wearable prototypes using a 3D printer and conducted user interviews. A total number of 4 interviews with potential users were conducted. Research revealed that the Voice Mask will likely be used in various locations that are busy with people, such as a large office or a café. This meant that it was essential for the product to be portable so that it can be carried around easily. It also meant that the people were highly conscious of how the device looked wearing it. With consideration for portability and fashion, the product design was revised from a headphone-like shape to one like a harmonica holder.
Inspiration
In 2015, the team conducted research on the future of work in 2025. A future scenario was envisioned in which work from anywhere has become the norm. The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated the change. People can now work from the comfort of their home or their favourite cafe. However, this created a new problem: meetings at home or a cafe can disturb others and lead to unwanted information disclosure. The research insights led to Voice Mask patent registration and the subsequent concept design.
Project Duration
The idea was created in 2015. It was filed for a patent in Japan in 2016 and it was and successfully registered in 2018. The design of the product started in May 2021 and was completed in February 2022.
Patents
VOICE SUPPRESSION SYSTEM AND VOICE SUPPRESSION DEVICE. JP2018066780A. INNOVATION LAB INC. 2018. Japan Patent Office.
Team Members
Designer: Kunihiko Sato Inventor & Researcher : Yukinobu Yokota, Hayato Shin
Image Credits
all Image Creator(Rendering Image) Kunihiko Sato, 2022.

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