Air pollution is a persistent problem that we encounter in both extreme and everyday situations. While new technologies are emerging and older ones are being revived to help reduce pollution emissions, the public health issue continues to grow.
Chronic pollution affects us all, and the implementation of solutions is happening slowly, as part of a comprehensive strategy that doesn't always address urgent local situations. On one hand, there is a gradual collective effort, and on the other hand, there are promising technological solutions. In the midst of it all stands the user, a social being who finds it challenging to embrace a system that would deprive them of half of their non-verbal means of communication and significantly affect their speech.
Creating a mask in a society that places great importance on self-image is a true challenge.
Regarding this last point, the BOLDAIR project is still a work in progress. It represents a preliminary solution, a demonstration of a coherent service currently seeking partners to bring about a market-ready version.
This project presents one solution among many, as air pollution is pervasive. With your help, we can envision an ecosystem of cohesive solutions that will destigmatize usage within a civilian context before distributing the new and improved mask (the current description is only a draft).
This service is also designed to be adaptable for personnel exposed to diverse and unknown threats.
We meet Claire our potential user.
Up until now, Claire had been receiving real-time air quality information without paying much attention to it.
List of press articles, tweets, and application screenshots to inform citizens about the air quality status in their city.
With pollution peaks becoming more frequent, she explores the array of concrete solutions at her disposal. It doesn't take long for her to realize that her choices are limited to futuristic projects or solutions that only address a fraction of the problem: either particles or gases. Yet, the key is to tackle the combination of pollutants as a whole, without discrimination.
What she truly seeks is a straightforward solution that caters to her needs: protection without burden.
Benchmark of existing solutions and exploratory projects.
Claire visits Boldair.fr to create her custom-made mask. She can choose the colors of her mask, different attachment systems to match her wardrobe and hairstyle. During the ordering process, she can already preview the mask using augmented reality.
The concept is interesting as it operates on battery and its filtration principle is washable.
Claire visiting Boldair.fr to create her custom-made mask. She will receive it directly by mail.
Once the design is chosen, Claire is guided to provide at least 5 photos of her face from different angles in order to create a 3D model of her face and customize the dimensions of the mask.
The mask will be directly 3D printed upon ordering, perfectly tailored to the contours of her face. This industrial, mass-produced mask will still be unique.
Using an automated image analysis process called photogrammetry, her face will be reproduced in 3D. This ensures that the mask provides maximum comfort by adapting to the wearer's morphology.
Animation of Claire's 3D face model.
The mask is composed of different parts to incorporate respiratory assistance, electronics, and air filtration and purification systems. The successive filters slow down the airflow, resulting in what is known as pressure drop. That's why a miniaturized respiratory assistance system helps prevent Claire from feeling breathless when breathing through the mask.
Exploded view of the mask components.
Developed with the collaboration of the Director of Research at ICPEES (a laboratory at the University of Strasbourg), Claire's mask is designed to filter the air she needs with minimal bulkiness.
Transparent view of the filtration system.
3D printing enables the utilization of the mask's walls to accommodate the necessary filtration components, as well as the respiratory assistance. As the air passes through each successive filter, it slows down. Claire should feel no constraint when wearing this mask, which is why it is important to compensate for the pressure drop.
Multimaterial 3D printing allows for the simultaneous printing of the mask's walls and the support structure (on the inside) where titanium dioxide will be deposited.
Modeling and animation: Julien Phedyaeff.
Air pollution consists of various elements with diverse characteristics: it includes dust, gases, as well as products resulting from reactions between gases in the open air (the cocktail effect). The charcoal filters found in most common masks only filter solid particles. Chemical compounds (also known as VOCs for Volatile Organic Compounds) can pass through if they are smaller in size than the filter, typically around 10µm in diameter.
Smoke composition and mechanical filtration principle for fine particles.
That is why it is necessary to use a chemical filter capable of breaking down VOCs into successively degraded byproducts, resulting in oxygen and water at the end of the reaction. This process, currently being researched at ICPEES, is the photocatalysis of titanium dioxide. Already used in the automotive industry or on a building scale, the goal here is to miniaturize it
This technology also holds great interest in a context that goes beyond the daily scope, such as civil protection. In the event of an accident, a fire can break out from highly toxic sources that are not under control and spread in confined spaces, such as a subway station, significantly increasing the risk since the air becomes saturated more quickly than in open spaces.
The case of the sarin gas attack in the Tokyo subway on March 20, 1995, is a compelling example for this project, as the technology employed here is specifically designed to address all chemical sources, making it an effective protection against biological and chemical threats.
Video of a full-scale emergency response exercise following an NBC (Nuclear, Biological, Chemical) attack.
In France, the average exposure time for victims exceeds thirty minutes. However, after twenty minutes, the chances of saving a victim exposed to toxic air significantly decrease, and as time passes, the likelihood of recovering individuals alive diminishes.
source : 2014 Report from the General Directorate of Civil Security.
Rescue teams operate in a hostile environment where it is difficult to navigate, often burdened with heavy equipment.
In addition to their equipment, they carry a rescue hood connected to their own air supply. This equipment adds to the burden of the rescue teams and depletes their reserve, while the victims have to wait for their arrival to breathe clean air again.
The goal is to improve this protocol by reducing the exposure of the victims and enabling the rescue teams to work more effectively.
© photo : www.paris-normandie.fr
Philippe Chabboud, a firefighter at the Departmental-Metropolitan Fire and Rescue Service (SDMIS), provided assistance in this part of the project.
He brings his expertise in the rescue needs, specifically the "dashboard", a list of reference points that help rescuers identify and prioritize victims during interventions.
Taking these recommendations into account, the technical components are positioned around the face to protect the user.
This mask, made available in schools or underground public spaces, follows the functional principle of Claire's mask. It is now equipped with two reactors and air suction systems.
Accompanied by a larger and wider particle filter, the combination allows for a higher air flow rate. To compensate for the pressure drop, the air is drawn inward into the helmet. Like Claire's mask, the principle is based on positive pressure, ensuring a tight seal by expelling clean air through the leakage points.
This self-contained mask operates on batteries and can be considered a viable solution to allow victims to protect themselves while awaiting rescue.
3D visualization of the emergency mask. It utilizes the same technology as Claire's mask, adapted for highly polluted environments. The mask is stackable, allowing for efficient storage and distribution.
Credits : This project would never have been possible without the support of Pierre-Yves Duchesne, Philippe Chabbouh, Valérie Keller, Clara Pénalba, Julien Phedyaeff, Luc Serreboubée