Air filtration, integrated speakers, and alcoholic drinks canisters – could this be the new way to go clubbing post lockdown? Looks frightening, doesn’t it?
When it comes to social distancing, clubbing must rank among the most difficult to maintain. Crowded dancefloors, queues for the loos and getting very close to strangers. The simple answer would be to not go, but we all know that will never be the case.
An American design studio has come up with a very modern solution. The MICRASHELL is a virus-shielding, hazmat-inspired costume meant to protect party-goers from Covid-19.
Somewhere between beekeeper and space marine, the suit comes with a vibrant colour scheme and light-up strips to help ease into the nightclub aesthetic. The suit is top-only, so revellers can slip it on over normal clothes and visit the bathroom without needing to fully disrobe.
A host of integrated features ensure wearers are still supplied with all the essentials – oxygen, music and alcohol. A set of speakers in the helmet can stream directly from the DJ’s sound system, or pick up room noise with embedded microphones, while a contact speaker in the back can physically transmit bass frequencies onto the user’s body.
Disposable canisters supply drink and vape from a magnetic snap-in slot near the neck, delivered to the mouth through a pair of nozzles, with a light to indicate how much of each remains. When they want to talk to each other, wearers can patch into each other’s helmets with a walkie-talkie-style communication link, or use a variety of proximity and privacy settings to talk only with your nearest or dearest. All functions can be controlled via an app on your smartphone – safely stowed in a pouch on the arm – including a front-facing camera which can capture point-of-view photos and video.
Just don’t expect to stand out in the crowd or think you could meet the love of your life on the dancefloor. There won’t be many eyes meeting across the dancefloor but it does mean we don’t need to buy a new outfit, get our hair done or wear make-up.
So, there it is, the future of clubbing.
Maybe.
