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5 minutes with James Dyson
Tonight the Dyson company officially unveiled its Air Multiplier, a fan with no blades (you can check out our hands-on review here). Hosting the event was James Dyson himself, who explained how the new device works and invited those in attendance to "get cool." We stole 5 minutes with Dyson to talk about his latest product and why his company decided to reinvent the table fan.
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What are you trying to accomplish with this product?
The blades [on regular fans] cause a problem. Fingers get caught in them, among other things. And it's difficult to clean.
Why do you call it the Air Multiplier? What exactly is getting multiplied?
The air intake into the base. We use a turbine impeller to pull air into the base, which then multiplies the air 15 times when surrounding air is drawn into the stream.
Why is it so noisy?
Well, you've got a high amount of airflow. And actually we've done a lot to make it quieter. The impeller has asymmetrical fins — totally enclosed — so that cuts down a bit. Plus each fin has three tiny little holes in it, and that helps. But we're working on it. We hope to cut [the noise] down even more by the time it's in major distribution.
Why do this particular product? Did you just wake up one day and say, "I want to reinvent the fan now?"
We don't do it like that. We see that we have a great technology, and then we see what we can do with it. We don't make a decision to just go into a certain sector. It's all technology-based.
What do you say to critics who say that a fan from Wal-Mart is just as good as your $300 product?
We give you much smoother air. Besides, that fan is dangerous, and difficult to clean.
By ernie. at 11:05 PM ON 10/13/09
He got me on that one! I've ALWAYS wanted smoother air!
By trsim at 11:37 PM ON 10/13/09
And the South Koreans rejoiced, as fan death will no longer be a problem...
By HalJordan at 12:31 AM ON 10/14/09
I'm all for this kind of innovation, but you can't talk into this fan & make the funny voice. :(
By murc at 1:06 AM ON 10/14/09
300 bones on a fan...are you shitin me?
the only reason I would want one is so I could fly a paper airplane through it.
which, if my math is correct, the airplanes speed would increase (y^4-3(x^4)[3^1/2 (x^2)]^2= 4) 4 mph.
By oes tsetnoc at 2:05 AM ON 10/14/09
Cool fan. What would be next, no motor? LOL
By memamu at 3:38 AM ON 10/14/09
This concept isn't new.
A friend of mine works in a body shop with an integrated paint-spray line. They have such a device to use with their compressed air system. its the same ring construction with tiny holes (i would call them jets) which multiplies the air.
regards
By Dazzler69 at 8:06 AM ON 10/14/09
This is really a stargate!
By raddog5 at 9:45 AM ON 10/14/09
What's with this word "multiply?" One cannot multiply air, unless they have found a way to creat oxygen, nitrogen, and other elements out of, um, um, "thin air." One can multiply numbers on a calculator, and bunnies multiply faster than we can count. Air is not multiplied; simply, the air pressure is increased using Oooooo- technology. Beam me up Scottie.
By rewj at 10:20 AM ON 10/14/09
I guess he thinks he is the Steve Jobs of fans?
By Vortex_3 at 10:53 AM ON 10/14/09
At least it's not dangerous, and not difficult to clean.
By Dave.T at 11:09 AM ON 10/14/09
I can see it now, 30 years from now I won't be telling my grandkids how I met their Grandmother. I'll be telling them how we didn't have remote controls, iPhones, that we had to walk to school in the snow (both ways uphill), and that our fans had blades and were both dangerous and hard to clean.
By TxSleeper at 11:23 AM ON 10/14/09
It's the same technology as a leaveblower... Stuff the fan/turbine in an enclosed housing (thus NO "fans" to be seen) and blow air out along a pipe with tiny holes... but, in This case a flat curved one with a single tiny slit. And, it "multiplies" air volume by steadily reducing the passage way from the base intake to the exhaust slits. Also attach it to a oscillating base... for full room coverage. Hell, I think I just re-invented the Dyson's device. My $50 Black&Decker can do the same thing - blow "Smooth Air" at 175mph > Multiply That!
By Boothba at 11:58 AM ON 10/14/09
I will stick to my Vornado Zippis. Nylon blades AND easy to clean. Not to mention that they are so quiet that people do not know that they are on.
By paulsmastr at 2:52 PM ON 10/14/09
Ya guys, but a fan is dangerous, and difficult to clean.
By Anonymous at 4:48 PM ON 10/14/09
it was invented long time ago:
http://www.exair.com/en-US/Primary%20Navigation/Products/Air%20Amplifiers/Pages/Air%20Amplifiers%20How%20they%20work.aspx
By SChar at 4:50 PM ON 10/14/09
it was invented long time ago and sold by EXAIR as "Air Amplifier"
By xanda at 6:51 PM ON 10/14/09
this is far too good an application consider this ...if you scale this concept up a thousand fold you have a lifting device with no pesky blades to cut your giblets off( way hay!) plus ,reverse the process you have an passive head height turbine generating power with again..! no dammage occured to formentioned giblets.
By JBain at 7:54 PM ON 10/14/09
I like xanda's idea, i mean a helicopter with no blades would be legit. Plus that scene in Indian Jones when the guy gets his cut off, would never happen, it would just mess up your hair.
By Junk Nugget at 11:42 PM ON 10/14/09
Question: Anything that "pushes" or "pulls" air collects dust. Wouldn't the tiny holes in the "motor impeller" eventually collect dust and get clogged? Or is that just me?
By fanboy at 10:55 AM ON 10/15/09
C'mon guys, give the man a break. Sharper Image and Brookstone constantly need shiny new gadgets that sensible people like you and I would never pay for. There's a lawyer somewhere who needs one of these on his desk and I applaud James Dyson for taking his money.
By Monty at 2:23 PM ON 10/15/09
uh..... wake me up when it's closer to $39.95 and I can get it at Target
By Gimp at 5:27 PM ON 10/15/09
Mmmm. I've gotta get me one of these... Simply for the smoother air. I've always wanted smoother air...
By paulsmastr at 1:43 AM ON 10/16/09
Smother air... damn.. I just ordered a few cans of that off QVC.
By zeno at 4:12 AM ON 10/16/09
So if I understand correctly, the man sells air !! lol
By mememe at 2:26 PM ON 10/17/09
No Zeno, it's "smoother" air. Unlimited smooth air for $300. Now I'm sure his design is patented but not the impeller. Right? So will someone else build something similar for cheaper?
By TxSleeper at 10:14 AM ON 10/18/09
Making a copy of this fan for "cheaper" is always possible... just use cheap labor and cheaper quality parts, aye... For now though - Just opening some windows to your beach front bungalow will generate "smooth air" flow for free.
By Conner at 7:27 PM ON 10/19/09
You're supposed to clean your fan? Death to Smoochie.
By Manfredi at 9:58 AM ON 11/07/09
Achei o maximo esse projeto e queria saber se ja tem para exportar para o Brasil?
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