CommunicationMask.org
Our not-for-profit team develops transparent masks so we can soon live a normal life without endangering others. Participation is encouraged!
Communication Mask 2020 (PDF poster)
Our mission
To limit the impact of the current Corona pandemic measures are required which provide the best trade-off between spread prevention and freedom for society and the economy.
Wearing a mask is one of the most efficient ways to stop infections.
People use medical masks when infection protection is the first priority.
In comparison, so called every day masks are more convenient to wear and provide sufficient protection in less critical situations.
However, when communicating with others, most people do not wear masks as it is important to be well understood and to see each other's face. This is why we are developing a new class of mask, the COMMUNICATION MASK. This way people can see and hear each other undisturbed.
Thanks to the communication mask we can again live an almost normal life without unnecessarily endangering others. Let us defeat the virus together!
P. S.: This is a preliminary Internet site – Because we are moving quickly...
FAQ
How do we promote us in one sentence?
https://CommunicationMask.org – A not-for-profit team developing transparent masks so that we can soon live a normal life without endangering others. Participation is encouraged!
Is the introduction video also available in other languages?
Yes! Introduction video in German, in Esperanto, in English.
What material do the communication masks consist of?
We are currently experimenting with different materials like plastic foil with nano holes, invisible electrets and micro-woven transparent textiles with mesh sizes below 200 μm.
Who is part of the initiative CommunicationMask.org?
People: Alexandra Müller, Belinda Giljum-Schoch, Deshun An, Dominik Passon, Dr. Elke Ahrens, Dr. Rainer Kurz, Omer Can, Rolf Sost, Sabine Dirlewanger, Silvio Kempf, Wolfgang Zint.
Organisations: Freelance-Market GmbH, Ostwind – Netzwerk für Nachhaltigkeit, Rainer-Kurz-Stiftung
Our milestones and intermediate targets
Rapid spread of our idea.
Creating a high number of imitators (producers inspired by our idea. Note: making a profit is not the primary goal).
Campaigns to motivate people to wear masks – "There is no reason not to wear a mask anymore".
Rapid product development of the beta version.
Rapid availability of the masks (production start of the beta version: 10 000 pieces within 3 weeks).
Rapid improvement of the masks with regard to:
a) Communication quality (sound, visibility),
b) Wearing comfort,
c) Aesthetics,
d) Infection protection efficiency,
e) Medical certification,
f) Enviornmental footprint , like durability, reusability, recyclability, etc.
g) Low production costs and mass production capability.High worldwide distribution. Target: 4 billion communication masks, one mask for every second person of the world.
It is still open how we will achieve our mission. Possible ideas for the next steps are:
Crowdfunding.
Competition, similar to X Prize.
Search for sponsors (state, foundations, companies/groups).
Open development process (similar to open source).
...
Prototypes
Join us!
Our team currently consists of over 10 volunteers who like to contribute to fight the pandemic.
People and organizations: Do you have experience in product design, material science, virology, project management, marketing, sponsorship, production management and logistics?
Money donations: As we are all working voluntarily, we do not need your financial contributions. You could however financially contribute towards our competition prizes. It is even possible to name a prize after you.
www.CommunicationMask.org
info@communicationmask.org
Ph.: +49-711-645139-00
c/o Rainer-Kurz-Foundation, Plettenbergstr. 19, 70186 Stuttgart/Germany
Short film competition "Communication Mask 2020"
In view of the worldwide corona pandemic, the initiative CommunicationMask.org is organizing a short film competition "Communication Mask 2020". Anyone can take part. From the complete beginner to the absolute professional. The only thing that counts is your creativity.
The screening of the winning films/award ceremony will take place on November 21, 2020 in Heidelberg, Germany at the same time as the International Film Festival Mannheim-Heidelberg (IFFMH)*.
What is important?
Most people do not wear masks when communicating with others, as they want to be well understandable and to see each other's face. The initiative CommunicationMask.org wants to change this. Show us what ideas you have for the communication mask, what it means to you and how people get excited about the communication mask. No matter what language you use or what techniques you employ. There are no limits to the cinematic realization.
The winner will be selected by our jury on the basis of the following criteria:
Audience impact / number of views on video platforms.
Quality and ingenuity (masks, cinematic realization).
Concepts and designs of the presented communication masks, especially regarding:
a) Communication quality (sound, visibility),
b) Wearing comfort,
c) Aesthetics,
d) Infection protection efficiency,
e) Medical certification,
f) Enviornmental footprint , like durability, reusability, recyclability, etc.
g) Low production costs and mass production capability.
Conditions of participation
Each film can be up to 5 minutes long.
All forms of film are allowed! From explanatory video to documentary to funny short movie. There are no limits to the format. From a smartphone video that presents an innovative mask design in detail to funny short movies.
Any language of the world may be used, from Armenian to Esperanto to Zulu.
The right to use the music for public performance must be secured.
The persons depicted in the film must have given their consent for public screening.
The filmmaker confirms in writing that he or she has all necessary permissions and rights and that no rights of third parties are violated.
At the end of the competition, the films will be released under a Creative Commons License (CC-BY).
How to submit?
The deadline for submission is November 13th, 2020
The video should have been previously published on at least one common video platform (Youtube, Vimeo, Dailymotion, etc.). The video should contain a note like "Submission to the short film competition Communication Mask 2020".
Submission by electronic transmission to us in a common format (e.g.: mov, mpeg, avi).
Awards
Film with best audience impact: 1.000 Euro
Best idea for the mask design: 500 Euro
Best idea for mask technology: 500 Euro
Legal recourse is excluded. If not enough suitable short films are submitted, the organizer reserves the right not to award all prizes.
Contact for submissions, support, and co-operations
info@communicationmask.org, phone: +49-711-462543
c/o Rainer Kurz Foundation, Plettenbergstr. 19, 70186 Stuttgart/Germany.