Dyson to focus on environmental control devices

By Yoon Sung-won

British electronics maker Dyson is expanding its business portfolio to diverse environmental products such as air purifiers and humidifiers.

The company, a leader in the premium vacuum cleaner market worldwide, said its technology-center business principle has played a key role in providing products with higher performance and in achieving greater market success.

“The importance of environmental control (EC) products has continued to increase,” Dyson Asia’s public relations manager, Tom Moody, said during a press conference in Jongno, central Seoul, Tuesday. “Earlier, we launched an air purifier in the Korean market and have seen success. As we newly introduce a humidifier and a multipurpose bladeless fan here, we will roll out more EC products in the market.”

Moody said the company allows its researchers to focus on developing new technologies that later will be used as the core of Dyson electronics.

“Many other companies try to develop products just to enter a market with a gap,” he said. “At Dyson, people outside the research and development division do not request the engineers to develop certain technologies for the market. Instead, we make our engineers freely discuss diverse technologies themselves.”

Dyson senior engineer Jean-Baptiste Blanc said: “Based on such new technologies, we mull over how to resolve inconveniences and frustrations with the use of electronics in daily lives. We connect our core technologies to such thinking to devise new products with actual benefits.”

The British electronics maker showcased a new humidifier named “Dyson Hygienic Mist” during the press event.

The company said the Hygienic Mist has ultraviolet cleanse technology that can kill 99.9 percent of bacteria in the water and evenly provides sterilized vapor indoors using a technology called Air Multiplier. This device works both as a humidifier and a bladeless fan, if needed.

A total of 37.5 million euros has been invested in developing this product over the past three years, the Dyson engineer said.

Dyson also unveiled a two-in-one bladeless fan called “Dyson Hot and Cool.” It produces hot and cool air, and users can set the device to jet-focus mode or diffusion mode.

The company said the device will allow single-person households to heat or cool at less cost but with more efficiency.

“Korean customers like the latest technologies and seek perfection,” Moody said.

“Also for wireless vacuum cleaners, Korea comes second in the world’s fastest-growing markets, following China. To meet expanding demand here, we have strengthened manufacturing capacity. We have added two more production lines for V6 motors and now our production output has reached 11 million a year.”

Meanwhile, the company said it will not blindly rush to adopt Internet of Things (IoT) technologies only because other makers are doing it.

“We see that the IoT technology is only in the initial stage,” Moody said. “We don’t believe that customers will buy an electronics product only because it is compatible with a mobile application. We believe that electronics products should first fulfill their fundamental functions.”