Augmented Reality Mask

With all those petaflop supercomputers that are soon to be turned on, a Matrix-like world is within reach, whether we like this or not. Come to think of it, the increasing pollution, overpopulation, poverty, and climate change doesn’t sound too good for humankind’s future and the Matrix could alleviate society’s needs even though that world is not real. We may want to leave the petaflops supercomputers to figure out the mind of God. Frog Design thought about this issue and presents their Matrix-inspired product that is some sort of fashionable facemask, incorporating technology that augments the mundane reality.

Frog Design believes that in a troubling future, the augmented reality devices would offer a new dimension - a virtual layer that could be used to “re-skin” the troubling outside world. This way, the mask would become some sort of visual drug. Instead of being depressed and let down by the decaying real world, you put the mask on and suddenly the world appears a better place.

Besides being a hi-tech fashionable device, the mask offers a physical distinction between those moving in the real world and those who are “plugged in” to their private dimensions, the world as they wish to see it. The fashionable aspect involves a striking visual design, which is supposed to cast the mask as a lifestyle product of the future. The funny thing is that the mask makes us appear more android-like, whereas the androids will be striving to appear more human-like.

While wearing the mask, everything you see, smell and hear, even air quality would be augmented to create a full sensory experience. Frog Designs even thought of a personalized aspect, where the facial expressions of those wearing the device would be detected and projected onto personal avatars visible to others also living behind masks.

They sure knew what they were talking about when they said the world is a big masquerade.