Dyson's new product still shrouded in mystery

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UK firm remains tight-lipped as to what type of device will be unveiled in two weeks

Dyson is set to launch its first major new product since the Air Multiplier fan in 2009 – but isn't saying what it is.

A representative at the UK engineering firm's stand at the IFA technology show in Berlin on Friday was prepared to say what it would not be – a vacuum cleaner, a hand dryer or a fan – the categories in which Dyson has so far made its name.

The device will be unveiled in two weeks.

The denial of it being a vacuum cleaner would rule out the project that has simmered for years inside Dyson, where it has been trying to build a robot device able to clean rooms without human intervention. Numerous designs have been tried but Dyson's engineers have not been satisfied with results.

The product is apparently responsible for the delayed launch in the UK of Dyson's latest vacuum cleaner, the DC37, which was itself launched at IFA on Friday. The DC37 is a cylinder vacuum cleaner with Dyson's patented "Ball" technology, which first appeared in 2005. It will launch in Europe in October, and a mini version has already been released in Japan, but will only make its way to the UK next year.

In the meantime, the Dyson device will go on sale internationally, including in the UK, shortly after its launch later this month.

Although it moved production to Malaysia almost a decade ago, Sir James Dyson's company still does its research and development at its Wiltshire base. Dyson is known for introducing odd new designs that sometimes become iconic, as in the case of its first product, the cyclonic action vacuum cleaner.

In 2006 the Dyson Airblade was introduced and has since become widely used in the bathrooms of commercial premises. The Air Multiplier, a bladeless fan that has won design awards, is less ubiquitous.

Whether its products become hits or not, Dyson is notable for creating a stir with each launch – perhaps because the UK has so few internationally recognised engineering firms.

• Research and development
• Engineering

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Charles Arthur 02 Sep, 2011

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Source: http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/sep/02/mystery-dyson-product-launch
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