Production Club's concept for the personal protective equipment (PPE) suit, called Micrashell, is designed to offer people a way of safely gathering and partying at gigs and nightclubs during a pandemic.
Described by the studio as "the future of human interaction", the design comprises an air-tight top suit and helmet that covers the hands, arms, upper torso and head.
It has a number of features that cater specifically to its intended party environment, including an in-suit beverage and vape supply system, built-in speakers and smartphone integration.
The studio are currently in the process of creating prototypes of the concept in-house. Thanks to the "simple" design they hope to have the first batch of the suits available for testing in a few months.
The air-tight top-suit and helmet are made from a high-performance and cut-resistant fabric that is also easy to disinfect.
A clear but stiff shield protects the eye area while allowing for easy visibility. The rest of the helmet is made from a softer, yet still see-through material, to allow the user to move their neck around more freely.
The helmet also features a particulate filtration system based on the N95 standard approved by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH).
A wireless voice communication system is integrated into the suit, enabling users to control the audio levels of different external sources individually, as well as modifying how their own voice is presented to others in real time.
An internal speaker system plays live music to its wearer in three modes: dry (directly streamed from the DJ or band), wet (as an emulation of the room's sound based on psychoacoustics), or as a passthrough from the room via the suit's embedded microphones.
A custom pocket in the suit holds and connects to the user's smartphone to allow them to control certain features via their device. This includes a camera that can be used to take photos and videos of the event.
The suit is secured to the body with expandable straps, making it suitable for people of different sizes. These straps can be customised with add-ons such as patches, velcro, magnets and hooks.
Rows of RGBW lights can also be customised to act as indicators of the wearer's mood, needs and messages. For example, a rainbow lighting effect across the suit could express joy, while a static red light could express that the wearer is busy.
The team worked in 12 hour shifts between Spain and Los Angeles until the Micrashell design was completed, in a bid to provide solutions to those whose work depends on social interaction in close proximity.
