Dyson has unveiled its first wearable device, the Dyson Zone, an air purifier worn around the mouth to capture polluting gas, allergens and matter -- with attached noise-cancelling headphones -- ahead of its launch this autumn.
The headpiece, which wraps around the mouth and over the top of the head with two over-the-ear headphones connecting the device together, also provides immersive sound.
"The Dyson Zone is a set of noise cancelling, high fidelity over-ear headphones which simultaneously deliver immersive sound to the ears, and purified airflow to the nose and mouth," Dyson said.
"The result of over a decade of air quality research and development, the Dyson Zone air-purifying headphones simultaneously tackle the urban issues of air quality and noise pollution."
Dyson, the British-founded vacuum cleaner manufacturer that relocated to Singapore post-Brexit, said the Zone was the result of six years of research by its teams in the UK, Singapore, Malaysia and China that resulted in 500 prototypes.
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The compressors in each ear-cup reportedly draw air through dual-layer filters and project two streams of purified air into the wearer's nose and mouth, and the mouthpiece acts as a non-contact visor to ensure airflow is kept close to the nose and mouth and as undiluted by crosswinds as possible.
The company's active noise cancelling technology shuts out ambient noise with low distortion and a neutral frequency response to "faithfully replicate" music or audio as it was created.
Dyson said the snorkel-like clean air mouthpiece had originally paired with a backpack to hold the motor and the inner workings, but following the development process, the motor at the wearer's nape has been scrapped in favour of a compressor in each ear-cup.
The firm, best known for its suction technology, said its engineers used a breathing manikin fitted with medical-grade mechanical lungs and sensing equipment to replicate human breathing patterns and "inhale" pollution in a controlled chamber.
They then measured the pollution level within the nose and throat of the test dummy to determine the filtration efficacy of particles which would otherwise end up in the user's lungs.
The negatively charged electrostatic filter media in the ear-cups captures ultrafine particles such as allergens, and particles from sources such as brake dust, industry combustion and construction, and a potassium-enriched carbon layer captures city gas pollutants like NO2 and SO2.
Dyson's audio engineers conducted extensive listening trials in creating the audio system, which boasts a wide frequency response, precise left-right balance and distortion significantly below what can be detected by the human ear, while active noise cancellation is achieved through a unique array of microphones.
"Air pollution is a global problem – it affects us everywhere we go," chief engineer Jake Dyson said. "In our homes, at school, at work and as we travel, whether on foot, on a bike or by public or private transport.
"The Dyson Zone purifies the air you breathe on the move. And unlike face masks, it delivers a plume of fresh air without touching your face, using high-performance filters and two miniaturised air pumps. After six years in development, we’re excited to deliver pure air and pure audio, anywhere.”
Pricing details are yet to be announced, but the Dyson Zone will be available online and instore later this year, although timings will vary by market, and full product specifications and details on availability will be announced in the coming months.
Photo: Jake Dyson wearing the Dyson Zone air purifier and headphones. (Pic: Dyson)
