Tuna in the sky: Japan students tap AR to make mask-wearing fun

TOKYO -- With government and health officials still urging caution to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, a group of students from Japan's Kindai University has developed face masks that harness augmented reality to transform the coverings from a nuisance into a source of fun.

The so-called Wonder Mask is printed with a special pattern, which can be used to trigger AR filters for photos on a smartphone app at preset locations. There are five filters so far, including one of a tuna head emerging through a shattered sky.