The team famous for making things that literally suck are trying their hand at haircare, as Dyson announce the Supersonic hair dryer.
Designing the best hair dryer
In 1890, man began a journey towards perfecting the hair dryer. Early attempts from Frenchman Alexander Godefroy, involved what was essentially a bonnet attached to the chimney pipe of a gas stove. This week, Dyson announced the Dyson Supersonic; a 70-million pound feat of follicle engineering. The price-tag prompted many to wonder what racks up costs like that, but Dyson have left no stone unturned in their move from vacuums to hair dryers. During the prototyping stage of development 600 prototypes were designed while some of the engineering team were sent to beauty school to fully understand the task at hand. Incredibly the Dyson creations blew-dry over one thousand miles of hair before reaching the final product.
The final product
That final product is simply the most talked about hair dryer in history. The Supersonic will be home to the world’s smallest but most advanced digital motor. Much like the Dyson hand dryers that everybody loves, the Supersonic will make you rethinking how things should work, with the hair dryer being much quieter too. While that will appeal to anyone who has tried to watch TV while the other half dries hair, there are further advances for the user too.
The smart hair dryer
The Supersonic contains a thermistor which is essentially a resistor that will measure the temperature 20 times a second. This information is then interpreted by the on-board microprocessor which constantly adjust the amount of heat delivered so it always stays just right. The air is delivered in a high pressure stream at a 20 degree angle again similar to that of the Dyson fans.
The Supersonic provides the user with three difference strength settings but also comes with a variety of fittings; a concentrator for a blade of air, smoothing nozzle for a wider airflow, and diffuser for de-frizzing. If I’m honest, I have always wondered what those different hair dryer fittings were for. This fittings click seamlessly into place magnetically, showing Dyson’s attention to detail missing nothing.
How much does the Dyson Supersonic cost?
Such a level of detail does come at a substantial cost, with the hairdryer setting you back the bones of €400. Still, the Dyson Supersonic exemplifies everything the company represents in terms of innovation. James Dyson, the company founder, described traditional hair dryers as being heavy, loud, inefficient and damaging; four key areas his new creation innovates.
