CES has always been the place where weird gadgets make their debut, and this year’s show is no exception.
Skyteda Toulouse, France-based startup founded by former Airbus VP Stéphane Hersen and audio engineer Frank Simon, is bringing that look like a pair of human muzzles at CES 2024. Called the “Mobility Privacy Mask” and the “Hybrid Silent Mask,” the face-worn accessories are designed to “absorb vocal frequencies” in noisy environments such as plains, trains and routes, Hersen says.
“Skyted’s solution is ideal for commuters, business executives and travelers anywhere,” Hersen was quoted as saying in a press release. “No matter how busy or public the location is, they can now talk silently and with the assurance that no one nearby can hear their conversation.”
Image Credits: Skyted
Now, there’s no getting around the fact that strap-on masks aren’t exactly inconspicuous or stylish… unless the Dyson Zone tickles your fancy. And at about half a pound (220 grams), it’s not exactly light either. But Hersen argues that the trade-offs are worth it for the privacy the masks (supposedly) provide.
Skyted’s masks are made from a sound-deadening material that Simon developed while at ONERA, the French aerospace laboratory — originally for jet engines. They sync (wired or wireless) to a smartphone app that offers a pass-through toggle to route speech through the phone’s speaker — minimizing the need to remove the mask. The app also calculates the user’s “voice level” and shows information about “perceptibility” and “intelligibility,” sort of like a Fitbit for speech.
The masks drown out 80% of the user’s voice, Skyted claims, while boosting volume on voice and video calls by isolating outside noise. And they have been tested with “top” (albeit anonymous) transport providers, with the support of both ONERA and the European Space Agency.
For this reporter, though, the masks seem like a shot in the dark. Skyted’s marketing suggests a lot.
On its website, Skyted advertises… unusual in-app features such as a “voice awareness” feature that allows parents to quiet their noisy mask-wearing children while playing video games. (It’s not entirely clear how this works, perhaps active noise cancellation?) Skyted, in fact, touts the masks as a more “immersive” way to play games, and even has a section of its website dedicated to defense and military applications . Skyted claims to have worked with the French military and the Defense Innovation Agency, France’s military R&D arm, to develop a custom mask exclusively for submarines and special operations.
Image Credits: Skyted
Skyted also seems to be trying on a medical mask of some sort – which, considering all the other areas it’s following, suggests a lack of focus. The scattered offering on the market — combined with the impressive starting price of $299 and low technology competition — doesn’t bode well for Skyted’s upcoming Kickstarter.
Again, Skyted managed to secure ~$1 million in seed funding last year, according in Crunchbase data. Maybe there’s a bigger market for face-mounted, sound-absorbing wearables than I thought.
