Will.i.am is working with Honeywell to produce a tech-driven face mask. The Xupermask, available April 8 for US$299, is outfitted with three dual-speed fans and a Honeywell high-efficiency particulate-arresting (HEPA) air filtration system. The feature list includes noise-cancelling audio and microphone, Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity and LED day glow lights.

For design, Will.i.am enlisted Jose Fernandez, who created costumes for films including The Amazing Spider-Man, X-Men United and The Avengers.

“Jose and Ironhead made the first prototype for this mask,” he disclosed.

Will.i.am got the idea for the mask while in London getting ready to fly back home.

“Let’s make a mask for the traveller, because the masks that we have were never intended for daily use… not for people to interface with tech, headphones and phones. People take off their mask and the earbuds fall out,” he said, explaining the idea behind the product. He added that he also wanted the mask to have a robust seal since a loose fit was “one of the reasons why your glasses get fogged up”.

He told The Hollywood Reporter that this is a notable example for black tech innovators. “I would like to add how blessed and thrilled I am with this collaboration with Honeywell. There’s not that many black entrepreneurs in tech. The work that I do in the inner city, teaching kids computer science and robotics and engineering, this is confirmation that — though there are not that many people that look like them in the tech field — good ideas are needed. So this partnership means a lot, not only to me, but to the 1,200 kids that I support in the hood that I come from,” said the rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, entrepreneur, and actor.

Nestled within its own carrying case along with a three-month supply of HEPA filters, ear tips and a USB-C charging cable, the Xupermask will come in two sizes and two colour schemes — white/grey/orange and black/black/orange.