The lockdown led to the creation and adaptation of new methods, trying to capture what is the positive side of the difficult historical moment we are living in. The desire to reinvent themselves has driven a diverse Italian-Spanish team that, between calls from designers and technology experts from Milan to Palermo, has generated a startup. It is named Cliu and aims to give, as the creators themselves say, " an answer to a need for normality."
It is a new conception of the most widely used object in recent months, namely the faceplate, which immediately becomes a success: various news outlets talk about it emphasizing its design, technological particularity and the sustainable principle behind the project.
Sustainable design
Having begun concept design in April, work is now underway on its prototype with the goal of getting production underway by October. The idea has been proposed through a crowdfunding campaign on the Indiegogo platform that, in addition to kicking off the production of totally sustainable masks, will contribute, in collaboration with Seads and CNR, to the installation of a Blue Barrier on the Arno River that will block 20 tons of plastic waste per year, otherwise destined to end up in the sea. This emergency is of concern to the entire planet, and more and more innovations are trying to reduce environmental impact by using materials that are recycled and recyclable in turn. It is precisely environmentally sustainable materials that Cliu's team will use to make the product. In addition, activated carbon filters have also been designed, studied thanks to a patent from the University of Siena with the collaboration of Siena BioActive, a spin-off of the Department of Biotechnology of the same university. Environmental sustainability, then, is a core value that the startup in question is championing.
The dose of technological innovation is also linked to the provision of Bluetooth, microphone and sensors that monitor one's breathing and air quality. In addition, thanks to the invention of a special app, everyone can control these parameters directly from their own device. Therefore, freedom and concern for one's own and others' health are essential principles, and for this reason, the product also becomes a solution for the deaf: by means of a transparent screen, which can open through a magnetic frame and to which an anti-fog system is incorporated, it is possible to make the interlocutor's lip visible, thus enabling communication and reducing the inequalities that, due to the pandemic, have been highlighted.
Comfort and Design
The design, which makes the facemask ergonomic, is meant to make it adhere perfectly to the face, making it easy to wear an object that we were not used to using until recently. Daughter of the made in Italy, for which we are famous all over the world, Cliu winks not only at comfort, but also at style, through the possibility of choosing from different shades of colors.
In conclusion, this is a current startup, generated by young minds and allowing us to be proud in relation to the fame found mainly abroad. Moreover, the idea of its birth is related to the pandemic, but it also looks to the future, as it is a means that also protects against smog, which is unfortunately becoming more and more intense within cities.
During #DiDays20 there will be many talks by many speakers who will tell us how companies have found alternative solutions to cope with the health emergency and to be ready for an increasingly tech and sustainable future.
Discover with us all the news! Buy your ticket with discount code ChiaraCuratolo30 by accessing the site through this link:https://www.digitalinnovationdays.com/?ref=99
Chiara Curatolo
Brand Ambassador of Digital Innovation Days 2020