Technology company Dyson has designed the Dyson Zone, a set of headphones engineered to tackle the dual challenges of city noise and air pollution.
The wearable purifier comprises a set of noise-cancelling headphones, and a magnetic detachable visor suspended in front of the user's mouth and nose. It captures city pollution, including gases, allergens and particulate matter, and keeps out unwanted noise with advanced noise-cancellation technology and high-fidelity audio.
‘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,’ says Jake Dyson, Chief Engineer at Dyson, the company behind the world-renowned vacuum cleaners, hand dryers, air purifiers and hair stylers. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), ‘about 99 percent of the population is breathing air that exceeds WHO guideline pollutant limits’, with numbers expected to continue to rise.
The ear cups of the Dyson Zone use air compression technology to suck in air and run it through dual layers of filters, including a carbon filter to capture common harmful gases such as sulphur dioxide and nitrogen dioxide. The clean air is then sent through the visor and into the wearer's mouth and nose. ‘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,’ Dyson explains.
On the audio side, the headphones deliver immersive sound technology coupled with advanced active noise cancelling, low distortion and a neutral frequency response.
‘After six years in development, we’re excited to deliver pure air and pure audio, anywhere,’ says Dyson.
The dual-function device – which is available in three colour variants: satin silver/ultra blue, ultra blue/Prussian blue and Prussian blue/bright copper – is set to cost upwards of $940 (R16 000) on its release early in 2023.
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Photograph: Dyson.
