Technical Innovation of Masks and Face Coverings

Overview

Question: How do we utilize innovative materials, sensors, and other technologies to enhance the functionality of masks and face coverings?
View Contributions: https://www.pandemicresponsecolab.org/challenges/2020/technical-innovation-of-masks-and-face-coverings
Submit Contributions:https://www.pandemicresponsecolab.org/challenges/2020/technical-innovation-of-masks-and-face-coverings/createProposal
Rules:All entrants must agree to the Challenge rules and Terms of Use
Expert Criteria & Incentives: See below.

Key Issues

Some areas of opportunity to consider are:   

• How we could retain the functionality of masks, but without it looking like a mask.   

• How we could deal with sensing infection even when someone is asymptomatic.   

• How biosensors could be helpful in alerting to contamination.   

• How material innovation in masks can be used to remove nanoparticles.   

• How we would extend the life of masks by sensing functionality failures.   

Review Criteria

Subject matter experts will evaluate the solutions submitted to the challenge to identify possible promising ideas. Sometimes there is one who stands above the rest, and sometimes there are two to three. This is not a typical challenge where there are winners and losers. We are hoping to build a much more inclusive and collaborative platform to encourage others to cross-pollinate ideas and work together. 

Challenge Incentives

There may be some novel and promising solutions that will emerge and those will receive the following:  

1) Visibility in the form of an announcement by MIT Pandemic Response CoLab on MIT News;  

2) A badge for their social media platforms and Pandemic Response CoLab that shows they were selected as a “Most Promising Solution” by experts; 

3)  2 45-minute calls with challenge experts.  

A community choice solution is one that receives the most votes during a public voting period. They will receive the following:  

1) A badge for their social media platforms and Pandemic Response CoLab that shows they were selected as a “Community Choice Solution”.