Med-Tech Innovation News learnt about a new PPE product concept from Tesla, called the Elon Mask, a product concept developed by Lease Fletcher.
Tell us about the mask itself – what is it made from?
The PPE concept, Elon Mask (not a typo!), is a personal BioDefence protection mask that is designed to match your Tesla EV. The retractable visor is made from metal aluminium oxynitride, ALON, offers a crisp, clear view of the world and has incredible resilience. The Elon Mask will literally take a bullet for you. The lower BioDefence mask has a HEPA filter that removes 99.97% of particles at 0.3 micrometres thick.
What materials would be used? Who would Tesla work with to make this a reality?
Tesla has put a lot of effort into developing a powerful air filtering system and in January 2019, they launched a new and improved Bioweapon Defence Mode upgrade for older Model S/X. This same HEPA air filtration system will be used in the Elon Mask.
As for the metal aluminium oxynitride, rumour has it that this is also the ‘transparent metal' used on the bold, upcoming Cybertruck suggesting Tesla either has brought this production in-house or has a supplier lined up.
Tesla Motors has a vast pool of talent when it comes to engineering and the materials and components will likely all be brought in-house in true Tesla style.
How quickly could this concept be scaled and available to the public?
Known for setting ambitious goals and following through (most of the time), Tesla would likely be able to offer a quick turnaround.
Note that the Elon Mask is not a cheap face mask and mostly appeals to existing Tesla drivers due to the integrated tech. In other words, there’s a somewhat limited scope for demand.
That said, the past has seen wild demand for Tesla accessories, even when overpriced. In July 2020, the Tesla S3XY Shorts, meant to mock short-sellers, literally broke the website because the demand was so overwhelming.
In terms of timeline and scale, it would be difficult to say. But Elon and his team are known for pushing boundaries. If Elon Mask was a priority, we believe the team at Tesla Motors HQ in Palo Alto could make it happen pretty swiftly.
What does this mean for Tesla? Are they going to follow other companies by diversifying into medtech / health equipment?
Tesla Motors is already using a special HEPA air filtration system in their vehicles to contribute to the reduction of local air pollution with electric vehicles but also to reduce the direct impact of air pollution on the vehicle occupants.
Compared to a lot of car manufacturers, Tesla cares a great deal about the health and wellbeing of their drivers and the world they live in.
With the world population growing and cities, countries and continents more connected than ever, COVID-19 is not the last global pandemic we’ll see. In 2020, we’ve seen many companies pitch in and help out by producing basic PPE and hand sanitiser because of the enormous rise in demand. It would be weird if companies like Tesla didn’t consider if they could produce and improve PPE to support the medical community, the government, their staff and their customers in the future.
The design itself looks like it could be associated with motorcycle helmet – is this a potential barrier to comfort?
The Elon Mask does have a daring design. That said, the design was conceptualised to address pain points with existing masks.
One of the most recurring issues is the nagging behind the ears. When you have to wear a face mask for a longer period of time, the friction on the skin can start to hurt.
Elon Mask is designed to distribute pressure better to minimise the friction at one point. The rear of the mask isn’t only to provide stability so it can be used in more lively activities - it also has ultrasonic proximity sensors and rear lights that remind others to keep two metres distance.
The mask will be lightweight and is designed to be kept on, even when not in use.
What other aspects are there to the design process that you’ve had to consider?
When you pick a face mask at the moment, you need to choose the level of protection and stick with it. This means you might have to carry around different masks for different scenarios.
With Elon Mask, you have the option of wearing your mask in three positions according to the level of threat: No protection, Air Filter, Air Filter + Visor. If you’re in a busy supermarket, you might want the full protection, whereas if you’re stopping in a drive-thru, you might want to use the Air Filter only.
Another big face mask hurdle is that it can be difficult to hear what people behind a mask are saying. The inbuilt Real-Time Audio Enhancer will optimise and Improve clarity in speech from the person speaking directly in front of you and play it through bone conduction headphones.
Anything else you’d like to add?
Elon Mask is a product concept and it does not represent an official product made by, or in any way affiliated with Tesla or Elon Musk. It is designed by LeaseFetcher.
