03.30.22
Dyson is making a foray into wearables with Dyson Zone, new air-purifying headphones that simultaneously tackle the urban issues of air quality and noise pollution.
“Air pollution is a global problem – it affects us everywhere we go. 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 miniaturized air pumps. After six years in development, we’re excited to deliver pure air and pure audio, anywhere,” said Jake Dyson, chief engineer.
Due out this fall, the noise cancelling, high fidelityover-ear headphones simultaneously deliver immersive sound to the ears and purified airflow to the nose and mouth.
There were more than 500 prototypes during the development process, according to Dyson. For example, detailed research into head and face geometries meant engineers could measure how the Dyson Zone air-purifying headphones would sit on and perform on different heads.
According to Dyson, electrostatic filtration captures 99% of particle pollution as small as 0.1 microns, such as dust, pollen and bacteria and a potassium-enriched carbon filter captures city gases like NO2, SO2 and O3.
The Dyson wearable news comes as mask mandates have been lifted across the US and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing guidance related to indoor air quality (IAQ) and reduce the risk of airborne spread of viruses and other contaminants through improved ventilation and other IAQ measures.
Infectious diseases like COVID-19 can spread through the inhalation of airborne particles and aerosols. In addition to other layered prevention strategies, taking actions to improve IAQ can reduce the risk of exposure to particles, aerosols, and other contaminants, and improve the health of building occupants.
EPA’s guidance stressed that stakeholders create an action plan for clean indoor air its their buildings that assesses IAQ, plan for upgrades and improvements, and include HVAC inspections and maintenance. Further, EPA said that stakeholders should optimize fresh air ventilation by bringing in and circulating clean outdoor air indoors, ensuring that outdoor air is acceptably clean or is adequately filtered as it is brought into the building. For instance, EPA noted that building operators and owners should increase volume of clean, outdoor air at times of higher risk (e.g., at times of elevated risk of covid-19).
EPA’s statement also pointed to enhanced air filtration and cleaning using both central HVAC system and in-room air cleaning devices, including portable air cleaners to increase air cleaning rates in areas where air flow and central filtration are insufficient.
“The most common way COVID-19 is transmitted from one person to another is through tiny airborne particles of the virus hanging in indoor air for minutes or hours after an infected person has been there. While there are various strategies for avoiding breathing that air—from remote work to masking – we can and should talk more about how to make indoor environments safer by filtering or cleaning air,” Dr. Alondra Nelson, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and deputy assistant to the President, penned in a March 23 blog post.
Last year, Dyson rolled out Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool Formaldehyde, which automatically purifies and senses and destroys formaldehyde while using UV-C technology.
“Air pollution is a global problem – it affects us everywhere we go. 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 miniaturized air pumps. After six years in development, we’re excited to deliver pure air and pure audio, anywhere,” said Jake Dyson, chief engineer.
Due out this fall, the noise cancelling, high fidelityover-ear headphones simultaneously deliver immersive sound to the ears and purified airflow to the nose and mouth.
There were more than 500 prototypes during the development process, according to Dyson. For example, detailed research into head and face geometries meant engineers could measure how the Dyson Zone air-purifying headphones would sit on and perform on different heads.
According to Dyson, electrostatic filtration captures 99% of particle pollution as small as 0.1 microns, such as dust, pollen and bacteria and a potassium-enriched carbon filter captures city gases like NO2, SO2 and O3.
EPA’s Focus on Indoor Air Quality
The Dyson wearable news comes as mask mandates have been lifted across the US and the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is issuing guidance related to indoor air quality (IAQ) and reduce the risk of airborne spread of viruses and other contaminants through improved ventilation and other IAQ measures.
Infectious diseases like COVID-19 can spread through the inhalation of airborne particles and aerosols. In addition to other layered prevention strategies, taking actions to improve IAQ can reduce the risk of exposure to particles, aerosols, and other contaminants, and improve the health of building occupants.
EPA’s guidance stressed that stakeholders create an action plan for clean indoor air its their buildings that assesses IAQ, plan for upgrades and improvements, and include HVAC inspections and maintenance. Further, EPA said that stakeholders should optimize fresh air ventilation by bringing in and circulating clean outdoor air indoors, ensuring that outdoor air is acceptably clean or is adequately filtered as it is brought into the building. For instance, EPA noted that building operators and owners should increase volume of clean, outdoor air at times of higher risk (e.g., at times of elevated risk of covid-19).
EPA’s statement also pointed to enhanced air filtration and cleaning using both central HVAC system and in-room air cleaning devices, including portable air cleaners to increase air cleaning rates in areas where air flow and central filtration are insufficient.
“The most common way COVID-19 is transmitted from one person to another is through tiny airborne particles of the virus hanging in indoor air for minutes or hours after an infected person has been there. While there are various strategies for avoiding breathing that air—from remote work to masking – we can and should talk more about how to make indoor environments safer by filtering or cleaning air,” Dr. Alondra Nelson, head of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and deputy assistant to the President, penned in a March 23 blog post.
Last year, Dyson rolled out Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool Formaldehyde, which automatically purifies and senses and destroys formaldehyde while using UV-C technology.