The United States government's Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority or BARDA recently announced a 'DIY less annoying face mask' competition with a potential total grand prize amounting to $500,000 awaiting the lucky winners.
An article posted on The Verge said, more than one year into the pandemic, a wide range of masks have come out from completely unsafe pieces to what's described as 'RGB nightmares,' as well as a whole bunch of stylish choices.
Dubbed as the Mask Innovation Challenge, this competition was created in partnership with the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health or NIOSH, an organization under the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to deal with some of the usual complaints about masks, like the fact that they can fog up eyeglasses, cause skin irritation or turn out to be uncomfortable to wear, are getting in the way of communication, and possibly enable COVID-19 particles to enter through the sides.
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2-Phased Face Mask-Making Competition
This will be a two-phased face mask-making competition. The focus of the first phase is on a design that is divided into two tracks: one that's considering redesigns of existing masks, and the other, concentrated on new materials and technologies.
Submissions should include actual representations for developing the proposed masks which, according to NIOSH, may be tested in the future, too.
Additionally, Phase One of the face-making contest will produce up to 10 winners, each of who will be awarded $10,000 to help build a model of their masks.
On the other hand, Phase Two, or the 'proof-of-concept' phase will require participants to respond to a hypothetical scenario with a mask designed from scratch or a brand-new mask design. Meaning, it is not based on any existing mask design.
Contestants in the second phase will submit physical models of their masks for NIOSH to test. From these contestants, up to five winners from this phase will split a total prize pool amounting to $400,000. BARDA and NIOSH say more information about Phase Two of the contest will be released at a later date.
Callenge.gov posted online some exclusion criteria. Specifically, it specified that prophylactic chemical treatment like sprays, coatings, creams, and drugs among others to provide biocidal enhancement is strictly prohibited.
The aforementioned won't be included due to their potential for the wearer's eye, skin, and inhalation irritation.
Increased Awareness in the Importance of Masks
As indicated in the article, holding a design competition in the quest for a better mask could generate some actual solutions although other than that, seemingly, it reflects the increased roles masks may contribute in the lives of many, even after the majority of people have been vaccinated.
This does not mean though, that the masks already existing are not effective as they certainly are. There are really several problems that get in the way of the use of masks.
Dealing with complaints in mask design is one direction although another big issue is availability. Manufacturers of masks are not yet able to meet demand consistently.
For example, the CDC said, it is still not as simple as it should be, to get N95 and KN95 masks, two highly recommended masks that provide a step ahead when it comes to filtration from cloth varieties.
A similar report on the competition is shown on the Democracy News Live's YouTube video below:
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