You won’t have to force a smile with the Qudi Mask 2 strapped to your face. | Screenshot: YouTube
The Qudi Mask 2 could let privacy seekers who still want to be social have their cake and eat it, too. It’s a wearable digital avatar that hides a user’s real face behind an LED display and can automatically trigger a handful of emotive — but somehow also emotionally empty — expressions using head tracking and a mic.
LED face masks aren’t a new idea — you’ve probably seen teenagers running around with them on Halloween — but the Qudi Mask 2 does more than just cycle through a preloaded collection of pixelated faces and colorful animations. Its faces can automatically change their expressions by reacting to what the wearer is doing. The sound of their voice will cause the animated mouth to move in real time so it appears like it’s…