‘S
How James Dyson transforms everyday objects:
the vacuum cleaner, the hand dryer, and now
the desk fan-into objects of wonder.
‘The Air Multiplier rose out of an error in
the testing lab to become the world’s first
bladoles fan took some 250 iterations
ay ot release. The
white ina TOvnch
inch size silverIsablowy autumn morning in
‘Manhattan, and James Dyson, the 62-
year-old British entrepreneur, is in town
to sell the world something it never
knew it needed. Dyson, you'll recall, isthe
‘man who reinvented the vacuum elesner,
‘the hand dryer, and, by ll accounts, the
art of reinventing quotidian products
itself He is both an engineering wonk
‘and abrilliant marketer in an age that has
elevated conspiouous consumption from
pastime to profession. His personal
fortune is worth an estimated $1 billion.
He isthe Tory Party's freshly minted
technology czar. When he travels, itis
ina halo of his own improbable celebrity,
the aura ofaman who has tapped into
some basic human yen for things. And
‘what he would nowike to present to
‘the public,a month into fallin 40-degree
‘weather, as the leaves drop like cheap
fe
‘ouwenis ofhotter day ia fan, beat
issn jt any fan, ea aden paranne
fan. A fan that upends how we've under-
stood fans for more than 125 years. A fan
‘that promises to eradicate “buifeting,”
‘whatever that is, and maybe even save
lives. A fan that costs $300.
“No one's thought ofa different way
of doing it," says Dyson, sinking into =
couch at his suite in the Mandarin
Oriental the morning after the Air Mul- _Welike to imagine that our cleverest
tiplier’s launch, He'sin socks, fresh contraptions are the results of divine
from the Today Show, on whicha school- inspiration—the genius inventor's eureka
girlish Matt Lauer declared the fan ‘moment. The Air Multiplier had none.
“revolutionary.” The roomislittered with Itbogan as afuke inthe testing lab and
fans."People aceept the same old way of emerged three years, 250 iterations,
doing it” Dyson continues.“Airplanes and about 30 employees later asa radical
hhad propellers until 1942, until someone variation on a common household good.
ound an alternative, which has proven ‘Thisis largely a testament to creative
tobe much better’ engineering, however oxymoronic the
Metrpotis12.2009_ 49notion, Dyson found inspiration in every-
thing from an airplane wing tothe aura
ofthe human body. And the engineering
became the marketing. As the fan's tagline
says, "No blades, no buffeting.”
For Dyson, tevanslagical discovery
isa triumph against the odds, a pursuit
he likens to long-distance running,
his high school sport of choice. Wo're
all familiar with the tale of his bagless
vacuum cleaner, which came together
after 15 years and 5,126 prototypes.
Within two years ofits launch, it was
the best-selling vacuum closner inthe
U.K. and has gone on to sell move than
‘imillian units worldwide, Today the
Dyson company has arownd 2.400 em-
ployees. Its headquarters in the U.K. is
‘a research-and-development machine.
Dysonhhas quadrupled spending on R &D
during the past five years, which means,
‘that ts produets, whether vacuum clean-
ers ot fans, are meticulously researched,
prototyped ad infinitum, and ested until
they break. "Dyson starts out with the
principle that they're going to make
‘significantly better product than what's
‘on the market today,” says Clive Rox,
4
16°
His is not just any fan. It’s 0
bladeless fan. A fan that upends
how we've understood fans
for more than 125 years.
“The Air Multiplier (assembly drawing,
above) is made in Malaysia and subjected
‘to ahost of abuses~tapping, punching,
‘throwing —to ensure it will neta fetime
‘The an oscillates and tilts (right)
executive director of the Industrial De-
signers Society of America. “They achieve
‘that through invention, innovation, and
design” The company has toiled its woy
into the hearts of consumers, earning
«sterling reputation for immaculately
engineered (if pricey) goods. (Though it
suffered something ofa PRblow six years
ago, when it exported Its manufacturing
to Malaysia.) cantinedon page 75
HOW IT WORKS
1. Acustom impeller draws ai nto the base.
2. The aris expelled through 2 1.3-milimeter
inthe ring. 3. The al accelerates over
‘ramp shaped like an airplane wing. 4, The
T6-degrae ramp draws in vast amounts of
surrounding ar. 5, The stream picks up more
volume ast travels forward 6. Inthe end,
1S times #8 much aie asthe fon expels hite
yourskin.
Diogiam by Natasha Reiger Bacchus Metron
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