Rio de Janeiro-based designer João Lammoglia recently won a Red Dot Design award for his innovative face mask device baptized "AIRE", which converts heavy breathing into usable electricity.

The AIRE mask boasts an aesthetic that borders between cool -- and creepy.  But if we manage to look beyond the Hannibal Lecter resemblance, the AIRE is an innovative product that renders renewable "wind" energy accessible and flexible for individuals - kind of like what B-Squares does for solar energy.

The AIRE mask contain tiny wind turbines which transform a person's breathing into electricity which is then transferred to electronic devices via a cable.  The AIRE mask can be used indoors or outdoors, and Lammoglia claims the concept encourages physical exercise - the more heavily you breath, the more energy you produce.  But the AIRE mask is equally impressive in that it can effectively be used during passive activities, like reading or sleeping.

The AIRE technology does not yet exist, and moreover, Lammoglia states that the point of the design was to stimulate others to come up with creative environmentally-friendly solutions to power the plethora of gadgets that have become permanent extensions of our being (re. smartphones).

Check out Lammoglia's other fascinating sustainable designs and the other Energy Red Dot Winners for inspiring energy-related design projects.