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The Razer Project Hazel N95 Mask Concept.
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LED grid, customizable by users. While the mouth of the mask wearer is visible, it is slightly obscured by the transparent plastic of the mask.
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Another angle that is apparently set to scare everyone.
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Depending on the angle and lighting, the Project Hazel face mask looks very light.
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Razer Project Hazel N95 mask on a couple of models, one of whom apparently wonders if she left the oven before leaving home today.
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We do not know if the white one is a 3D version, or if it really is, because the only photos we saw included the black model.
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Storage cabinet, intended for recharging the fans and using ultraviolet disinfectant on the slots.
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Same case idea, now in white!
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Let’s close the case …
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… which includes some status indicators. This is the part of the revelation that we are most optimistic about that one day it may be a real headphone (even if it is not cheap).
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CGI peak of silicone nose protection.
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Voice magnification, as enhanced by at least one ventilation slot.
The annual deluge of CES devices and gizmos is usually trying to predict what consumer-grade technology will look like in living rooms in the near future. But after a year like 2020, flexible TVs and surround sound systems seem less interesting than a more urgent category: technology to help people go outside during an ongoing pandemic.
That’s why we’re taken by the Razer Project Hazel, probably the most sought after face mask concept we’ve seen since COVID-19 started destroying the world. This N95 mask concept was unveiled on Tuesday as part of Razer’s CES range of gamer-centric products, and it appears as a surprise entry along with the usual price of laptops and peripherals for the company.
16.8 million colors on your face? Sure why not
According to Razer’s point of sale, this should come as no surprise, as the company has reused at least one of its production lines to pump out more than one million disposable surgical face masks by 2020. From there, someone at the company decided to go one step further and make what looks like a fancypants, LED-smothered gamer mouse … for your face. Project Hazel immediately boosts the company’s affinity for customizable lighting grids, thanks to two light rings – which support 16.8 million colors, because why not – around the mask’s ventilation slots. We wouldn’t be shocked if Razer finally allows gamers to sync these light grids with nearby mice and keyboards.
However, after laughing about the aesthetic excessive nod, we generally nod with the concept of Project Hazel. The system, as advertised, will include an active ventilation system, the slots of which fit into a drawer that acts as an ultraviolet disinfectant. A silicone protector will seal on the user’s cheeks and nose, while a voice modulation system and a transparent plastic face will go the extra mile to maintain speech volume and visible mouths – things you would absolutely not find in a standard-edition cloth mask. Razer goes even further to guarantee your visible face by offering lights inside as an option.
Razer Project Hazel prototype
For now, Razer can hide behind the “concept” label. Without a live demo that shows exactly how it works, or a semblance of release date, price or battery life at a single charge, the concept of Razer can indeed be unsustainable vapor or excessively expensive at launch. In addition, there is a fan-driven and battery-powered heat, both of which must be neatly distributed to ensure the Project Hazel point of sale allows you to leave the mask comfortably in public for a long time.
As an eye mask, Project Hazel is certainly less dramatic in construction than that of the Narwall Mask, an $ 85 option currently on sale with a lack of active ventilation systems (or transparent faceplate) and rather on a SCUBA-like , -about design. (At a glance, it looks like a great cosplay option for Snorkies fans.) And as of press time, the best mask option we found with transparent mouth windows, as part of our extensive mask guide, is recommended by CDC guidelines. Even if Razer’s prototype never emerges as a fully blown product, it’s hard to imagine that the rest of the international technology sector is not moving forward with more ideas on how to navigate the outside world safely – even before COVID-19 vaccination becomes a social given. If Razer sends us any updates about Project Hazel a retail product, we will keep you posted.
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