The international campaign on Kickstarter of the Italian startup has successfully closed Narvalo, a spin-off of the Politecnico di Milano, incubated in PoliHub and institutional participant of the Politecnico di Milano Foundation. The campaign, the company says, has “decreed the interest in Narvalo Urban Active Mask, the anti-smog mask winner of the Red Dot Award Product Design 2021 in the Healthcare category and among the most comfortable Ffp3 on the market.
“The mask – recalls Narwhal- not only ensures maximum protection from atmospheric pollution, viruses, pollen, bacteria and odors but also comfort and breath monitoring, integrating versatility and latest generation technology thanks to presence Active Shield, a proprietary IoT device positioned on the front of the mask“Through an intelligent fan and sensors capable of monitoring data on respiratory performance, Narwhal experts explain that “The Active Shield constantly optimizes the airflow inside the mask, reducing the accumulation of heat, humidity and CO2.”
In addition, “it communicates with the smartphone to analyze the user’s respiratory performance and show the quality of the air breathed while traveling around the city”. Active Shield is now the protagonist of the pre-order campaign that arrives online on the Narwhal website. “Also applicable on the previous model of mask, the Narvalo Urban Mask, allows each ‘Narwhal’ mask to transform into an IoT device of the latest generation and to ensure a breathing experience in the city never experienced before “.
Arquilla and Westerduin: “However, we have an exclusive on which we are investing: the measurement of breath”
“Kickstarter represented for us a launching platform to broaden the horizons of the project on which we have been working for 3 years and addressing an international audience capable of recognizing and appreciating innovative products “explain Venanzio Arquilla, professor at the Milan Polytechnic and president of Narvalo, and Ewoud Westerduin, co-founder and Head of Design of Narvalo. “Our technology – they emphasize – was developed with a view to rethinking the mask as a complement to a series of devices, such as smartphones, smartwatches or other wearables related to health and well-being “.
Arquilla and Westerduin anticipate: “However, we have an exclusive, on which we are investing in development: the measurement of breath. To date, there is no non-invasive device that allows measuring the respiratory rate in use: this is the distinctive feature of Narwhal “.
In particular, the Active Shield technology thus completes the Narwhal masks that boast a registered design (with breathable, washable, water-repellent and tear-resistant 3D lining fabric), a layer of activated carbon and Bls Bls Zero filter technology, the Italian company specialized for over 50 years in the production of personal respiratory protection devices, which guarantee a filtration level higher than 99%. In particular, the Narvalo Urban Active Mask, thanks to the Face-Fit, adapts perfectly to the face, preventing the glasses from fogging, while the antibacterial gasket it is provided with prevents skin irritation.