Los Angeles-based design company Production Club has dreamed up a virus-proof half-body suit concept called the "Micrashell" that could allow us to one day safely attend film festivals, concerts and sports events during or after a global pandemic — without having to stand six feet apart.
The company calls it a "personal protective equipment design concept that allows for human-to-human interaction in group setting" in a press release. "The Micrashell is a virus-shielded, easy to control, fun to wear, disinfectable, fast to deploy suit that allows socializing without distancing."
The suit — which only covers roughly the top third of the body — features cut-resistant fabric, an air-filtration helmet, a clear shield for good visibility, wireless voice communication, a video camera, and of course an accompanying smartphone app.
Lights along the suit can even indicate what the user's mood is in or display messages.
"For example, a rainbow lighting chase effect across your suit can express joy, while a static red light could express 'busy'," reads the press release.
Want to have a drink or smoke inside the suit? No problem.
According to an official description, "users will be able to safely consume drinks and vape via specially designed loading chambers underneath the helmet."
Having it only be a half-suit also solves the issue of having to go to the bathroom.
"It would be a huge pain to have to take it off every time you needed to go to the washroom," head of invention Miguel Risueño told Fast Company.
Or even intimacy.
"We also tried to make sure that if you wanted to have sex, it’s also something you could do," Risueño added.
Despite it being a concept, the ideas behind it aren't quite as outrageous as they sound.
"The principle designing the suit was, knowing this is a time-sensitive matter, let’s not pack it with sci-fi features that don’t yet exist and will be roadblocks, but [let’s] use technologies that are available to us,” Risueño told Fast Company. "If we don’t do that, we’re just navel-gazing instead of actually trying to solve a problem."
"We believe events are essential to the human experience and create the memories that define our lives," Production Club’s head of special projects Corey Johnson said in the release.
"While we might not see a Coachella-sized event for some time, we are excited by the challenge to create innovative solutions to push forward quality live entertainment and human connection," Johnson added.
READ MORE: Concerts will never be the same after COVID-19. Here’s what you could wear to bring them back [Fast Company]
More on the virus: NEW ZEALAND CLAIMS TO HAVE ELIMINATED COVID-19
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