This $172 'space-age' face shield that protects against coronavirus raised nearly $300,000 on Indiegogo and is shipping by end of June — see how it works

BioVyzr.VYZR

• Vyzr is selling a PPE shield with an air purifying system to protect against coronavirus.
• The BioVyzr concept raised nearly $300,000 on Indiegogo, and early backers are supposed to get their shields in June.
• The product is on sale for $172.

Face masks aren't the only protective gear to prevent the coronavirus. Toronto-based Vyzr Technologies created the BioVyzr, a shield that covers the wearer's face and protects against droplets and pathogens.

With what Vyzr calls a "space-age aesthetic," the BioVyzr is a Powered Air Purifying Respirator (PAPR), a device typically used only in industrial and healthcare settings. The company says a PAPR can often cost as much as $1800, but the BioVyzr is selling for a relatively low $172. For comparison, N95 masks, which are out of stock in much of the world, can cost around $40.

Since April, the campaign to build the BioVyzr has raised $295,367 on Indiegogo. The first batch of shields is set to ship out to early Indiegogo backers by the end of the month.

Here's how it works.