It seems like only yesterday we were looking to leading-edge tech companies to finally provide us with the innovative products we imagined in our youth and were confident we would see and use in our lifetime. Some of them came true, like video phones and hand-held televisions. Others seem less likely, like flying cars. And then there are those things we never imagined we’d need because we’d never imagined living in times that would demand them. Things like personal hazmat suits. Well, guess what – those times are here and so are the personal hazmat suits. But wait … there’s more! If you’ve been cooped up in coronavirus lockdown and are wondering how you will ever go back to clubbing, dancing, casual encounters and one-night connections, these personal hazmat suits are stylishly hot and ready for nightlife, dancing, partying and beyond.
“Micrashell was born as a socially responsible solution to safely allow people to interact in close proximity. Specifically designed to satisfy the needs of nightlife, live events and entertainment industries, Micrashell is a virus-shielded, easy to control, fun to wear, disinfectable, fast to deploy personal protective equipment (PPE) that allows socializing without distancing.”
Socializing in a Micrashell (Photo courtesy of The Production Club Micrashell press kit.)
The Los Angeles-based creative studio Production Club obviously designed the Micrashell with young people in mind. As evidence, a review in Globetrender points out that the practicality of a high-tech hazmat outfit — an air-tight suit and helmet – is combined with a built-in sound system, wireless voice communication and a disposable drinks and vape system suitable for a party environment, but not — as Miguel Risueño, the studio’s head of inventions, tells the design and architecture website Dezeen – “reckless social behaviour.” (Photos here.)
“After witnessing the events industry fall into an unprecedented recession, and seeing large groups of people ignore social distancing directives in order to go out and party, we felt obligated to address both issues and find a solution that benefited all.”
Micrashell (Photo courtesy of The Production Club Micrashell press kit.)
The Production Club website lays out the technical details of Micrashell – an air-tight top suit and a hybrid soft/hard helmet made of tactical, high performance cut resistant fabric that’s developed for durability, endurance and easy disinfecting procedures. The main materials based on UHMWPE (Ultra High Molecular Weight Polyethylene) fabrics and lightweight film composite, including sealed sewed patterns and ornaments as well as cordura inserts. The suit is powered by two lithium-ion cell battery systems for uninterrupted active operation and are easy charge and swap when discharged (18650 type batteries). Add to all of this an air filtration and breathing system, smartphone integration, wireless voice communications, sound streaming directly from a club DJ, Velcro patches for fashion enhancements. (More tech details here.) And, most importantly:
““Top only” suit design allows the user to wear their normal clothes, use the toilet and engage in intercourse without being exposed to respiratory risks.”
Risueño tells Globetrender that the studio has already been approached by the film and construction industries and sees the suit as a BtoB rather than BtoC (business rather than consumer) product. That seems to imply that clubs or events might provide the suits for a fee, but there are plenty of people with the resources to by them personally. And if they do, the Micrashell will be available at the incredibly low, low price of … “TBD” — to be determined.
Is the Micrashell the post-pandemic future for club goers, sports fans, concert attendees and concerned one-night-standers? Let’s answer that with a different question – have you seen any other solutions? Kudos to The Production Club for thinking outside of the 6-foot social distancing space and coming up with a potential solution that might please both young techies and old Jetsons fans (don’t worry, oldsters – it has expansion straps for all body sizes) who yearn for their flying cars.
Welcome to the pandemic future.
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