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It's no secret that even before the COVID-19 problems began, breathing devices were a big part of everyday life in parts of the world. Most people remember the images of citizens in Beijing before and after the Olympics wearing masks every day because of the quality of the air. Even during CES, we see people from all over the world wearing masks as they walk around Las Vegas. While the passive masks that many people wear for personal respiration are helpful, there are ways to make the experience far better. Enter Aō Air, a company dedicated to making active personal respiration masks.

The company's mask, the Atmōs, is very different from the ones you see on a regular basis. Rather than being worn in physical contact with the face, which gets hot an uncomfortable quickly, the Atmōs masks look similar to a Microsoft HoloLens and are worn in front of the mouth, resting on the nose like a pair of glasses. The gap space allows for proper airflow and ventilation. And, while it may sound like that is the opposite of the concept, the airflow is a key aspect of the device's engineering.

These masks use the airflow to produce a wall of air around the face, which creates a high level of air pressure. That pressure prevents air on the outside of the mask from getting past the wall. Then, the mask pushes clean air into the void between your face and the air wall, ensuring that the air that you breathe is of high quality. That air goes through a filtration and sanitation process between being pulled into the device and being provided to you.

The first units of the Atmōs masks are expected to ship in July 2020, and pre-orders are available now. The deposit is $70 and the full retail is $350. To find out more about the company and to preorder your unit, check out the company's website.

Interview by Marlo Anderson of The Tech Ranch.