- Designers invented a futuristic solution to socializing during a pandemic.
- It’s called the Micrashell, and it’s packed with personal protective features as well as a bunch of silly sci-fi accessories that ensure it’ll never actually be made.
- Visit BGR’s homepage for more stories.
Right now, the world as a whole is struggling with a new reality. The novel coronavirus pandemic has dramatically changed the way most of us live our daily lives. We’re avoiding close contact with our fellow humans, sitting home instead of going out, and doing what we can to keep ourselves and our families safe.
A design group called Production Club decided to take our current situation and run with it, conceptually speaking. The result is a full-body anti-pandemic suit that not only protects the wearer from airborne harm, but it actually promotes socializing. It also looks like something pulled straight out of Blade Runner or some other 80s sci-fi flick.
It’s called the Micrashell, and it might be a powerful piece of personal protective equipment for people who don’t want to give up their social lives. The designers explain their reason for dreaming up the suit on their website.
“Social distancing measures have been introduced by the authorities as a way of slowing down the spread of the disease,” the website reads. “However – beyond the obvious benefits of this action – there are certain drawbacks that make it only viable for a limited period of time, like its toll on mental health or its impact on the economy.”
Okay, fair enough. Social distancing can’t last forever (and it was never meant to), but it definitely is working right now and that’s a very good thing. The Micrashell, if it actually existed, would allow a person to go about their daily lives without worrying about an airborne illness. But, like any good concept, it’s also packed with a bunch of features that are totally over-the-top.
For starters, the suit’s systems are controlled by a smartphone app. The phone can also be charged with batteries that are built into the suit. Then there’s the voice communication system which actually blocks out certain sounds or people based on your preferences. Yep, this suit would let you mute an annoying person why still being able to converse with a friend. There are internal speakers (of course!), so you can rock out to music if you want, and of course, plenty of pockets and pouches to handle all your goodies.
Then there’s the best part. Since you obviously can’t sip a soda or rip a cloud from your vape with a full-body suit on, the designers came up with a solution. Production Club calls it the “supply system,” and it’s a canister-based delivery system that locks into the suit and lets you drink and vape without exposing yourself to the elements. These custom canisters even have LEDs that show how much drink or vape juice is left inside.
Oh, and did I mention the external LEDs that change based on your mood? Or the built-in camera that connects to your phone? Or the “chest eye” lens that shows you “realtime things that your suit or helmet subsystems might be occluding”? No? Well, now I did.
