SERO Mask
Futuristic Wearable Design
Role
Product Designer, Creative Designer
Team - Ishraq Ashtarian, Nicholas D'Angelo, Nanwei Cai, Oliver Hoegh
SERO Mask is a concept for a futuristic wearable that combines a protective mask with COVID-19 testing. Inspired by the discomfort of swab tests and delays in receiving results, the design proposes high-grade filtration, an embedded CRISPR-powered sensor, and an LED result indicator. The aim is to make testing available while the mask is worn, with results that are easy to read. The project brings together wearable design, biological detection, and visual communication to explore a more convenient testing experience for health-conscious individuals, frontline workers, and travelers.
This project brought together industrial design, biology, and user experience. It showed me how challenging it is to translate a complex technical idea into something people could understand and wear comfortably. A concept involving health and safety requires careful attention to clarity and reliability, from the LED indicator to the choice of materials. I learned to consider the proposed sensing technology, the physical form of the mask, and the user’s experience as parts of one system.
Further development of the SERO Mask concept would require:
- Sensor Miniaturization & Integration: Research would be needed to develop a CRISPR-based sensor small enough to fit safely within the mask without compromising filtration or wearability.
- Prototyping & Usability Testing: Prototypes would need to be tested for comfort, breathability, and fit across different users, including frontline workers and travelers who might wear the mask for long periods.
- Refined UI/UX: The LED indicator would need a clear visual language, using color or blinking patterns to distinguish positive, negative, and test-in-progress results.
SERO Mask: A Concept for Wearable COVID-19 Testing
Developed in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, this concept explores more accessible and convenient testing.
- Limitations of Traditional Tests:
Swab tests can be uncomfortable, and delays between testing and results can contribute to the virus's spread.
- Proposed Features:
- Wearable COVID-19 testing for rapid detection.
- CRISPR-powered sensor technology.
- Clear LED result display.
- High-grade filtration for ongoing protection.
- Target Audience:
Health-conscious individuals, frontline workers, and travelers seeking a more convenient testing experience.
Wearable Lab on Body Project - MIT Media Lab
Futuristic Solution: Wearable Testing
Vision: The concept imagines a mask that could also serve as a testing device, making rapid testing part of the wearing experience.
Futuristic Solution: CRISPR Detection
Cross-Disciplinary Concept: The concept brings together wearable design, filtration technology, and CRISPR-based biological detection.
Design & Technology Integration
- Conceptual Sketching:
The design challenge is to integrate CRISPR-based sensors into a mask while maintaining comfort and safety.
- LED Indicator:
A simple visual indicator would communicate test results.
- Filtration Focus:
Protective filtration remains a core design requirement, alongside the proposed testing function. Material selection would need to support both filtration and wearability.