South Korean multinational electronics company LG unveils its own wearable air purifier ahead of the upcoming IFA press conference in Berlin, which will open on September 3.
Tagged as the PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier, LG's new product supposedly "resolves the dilemma of homemade masks being of inconsistent quality and disposal masks being in short supply."
A Smart, State-of-the-Art Facemask
LG's PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier is also fitted with a 820mAh battery, which powers two internal fans whose rotating speeds adjust to the wearer's breathing. Its fans automatically speed up during inhalation. Conversely, it slows down during exhalation, facilitating an easier breathing process compared to conventional face masks.
As a reusable mask, the LG purifier mask comes in a case that has LED ultraviolet (UV) lights, cleansing the mask as the UV light kills harmful organisms that come in contact with the mask. Also, the case serves as the mask's charging port. The mask's battery can last for eight hours of usage in its low mode, and two hours in the highest setting.
The filters, as in their home air filter counterparts, also need to be periodically replaced. However, with the PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier, the mask will inform its users when it's already time to replace its H13 HEPA filters via smartphone apps. LG has developed its paired app, the ThinQ mobile app, available for both iOS and Android users.
Protection for COVID-19?
The wearable purifier uses a pair of H13 HEPA filters in its battery-operated mask. The filters are similar to those used in the South Korean manufacturer's home air purifier product line. HEPA filters can block up to 99.97 percent of particles down to 0.3 microns in size. One micron, or micrometer, is 1X10^-6 or one-millionth of a meter. In reference, human hair widths generally vary from 17 to 180 micrometers while bacterial cells are usually less than 10 microns long at least 0.2 microns wide.
In the LG announcement about the PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier, there was no explicit mention of COVID-19 or the coronavirus, which was also noted by tech sites and reviewers. Cnet notes that while the mask "will clean the air coming through the filters," it does not provide details about air going out of the mask. Writing for the American media site, David Priest raised the questions via email, to which a representative for the South Korean company explained that they are waiting for the results of further testing before disclosing details.
Furthermore, the price and release date for the mask remains unanswered, even after the press conference. However, the electronics manufacturer confirmed that it will be released in the upcoming fourth quarter of 2020, but only in "select markets."
Most likely, the additional reveals for the PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier can be expected in the upcoming IFA 2020 in Berlin. Organizers of the event have limited this year's convention to industry members only, in accordance with the Berlin government's ban on public gatherings with more than 5,000 attendees. Additionally, it will include a livestream event to showcase all products, such as the PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier, without the need for the physical booths filled with industry partners, bloggers, journalists, and enthusiasts.
Before the PuriCare Wearable Air Purifier comes out later this year, take a look at its miniaturized predecessor, the PuriCare Mini:
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