TECHNOLOGY FOCUS
Innovative Design
A roundup of recent advances in engineering technology. In this issue, a look at some innovative applications of industrial design.
NEARLY INVISIBLE HEARING AIDS
While hearing aids have come a long way over the last few decades, they do still have the reputation of being bulky or noticeable. As a solution to that, Switzerland-based Phonak has launched the Virto R Infinio—its most compact rechargeable custom in-the-ear (ITE) hearing aid. The device is designed to fit within the ear canal.
Phonak’s RightFit customization process molds each device to the unique anatomic and acoustic profile of the wearer's ear using more than 1,600 biometric data points. Charging works like a consumer earbud and the hearing aids magnetically snap into a compact case with no need to handle tiny batteries. It takes just three hours to fully charge, and lasts up to 30 hours in calm environments.
The device uses AI to recognize the listening environment and automatically adjust the hearing aid settings in real time. Price points vary depending on options and location, but range around $2,500 to $4,000 per ear.
Photo: Phonak
A VACUUM THAT LIVES IN YOUR CABINET
As handy as they are, robot vacuums can take up a ton of space with their dock and other operations infrastructure. But what if that infrastructure was designed to blend into your kitchen?
BSH Home Appliances Group (a Bosch Group company) and ECOVACS launched the first built-in robot vacuum and mop system in April. Both the robot and the wet-dry service station are designed to seamlessly integrate into the kitchen. All necessary modules fit into the sink base cabinet alongside standard waste disposal systems. The full service station is also connected directly to fresh water, wastewater, and electricity connections. A motorized baseboard hatch opens when the robot needs to clean and closes afterward.
The 84-millimeter-tall robot is equipped with 20,000 Pa suction and uses a Smart Vision camera, structured light, and various sensors to navigate its space.
European stores will start carrying the robot this spring. No word yet on a U.S. release.
Photo: BSH Home Appliances Group
A FAN LIKE NO OTHER
If you’ve ever sat outside in the summer heat, chances are you’ve used some sort of implement—a paper, a book, or your hand—to fan the air in a desperate effort to cool off. While personal fans are nothing new, Dyson just launched its own version of the device and of course, it’s designed to be just a little bit extra.
The HushJet™ Mini Cool fan can be worn, propped on a desk, or handheld, and weighs 212 grams (7.5 ounces). With six-hour battery life, the device can generate airflow speeds up to 25 meters per second or 55 miles per hour, thanks to a brushless DC motor spinning at up to 65,000 RPM. It has five airflow speeds and a Boost mode.
Thanks to its specialized nozzle, the HushJet operates at 72.5 dBA in boost mode, 68dBA in speed 5, and 52dBA in speed 1.
It’s now available for purchase, costs $99, and comes in three colors: Stone/Blush, Carnelian/Sky, and Ink/Cobalt.
Photo: Dyson
BREAKING THE CHAINS
Chainless bikes have been around for a long time, though the chain-drive bicycle remains popular today.
Inspired Cycle Engineering, a UK-based recumbent trike manufacturer founded in 1999, launched its first chainless trike in March. The company is calling it a world first for the recumbent trike industry—and emphasized that a drivetrain that removes 140 years of chain maintenance from the equation is not a minor upgrade.
Instead of a chain, the trike’s pedal-axle generator at the front converts the rider's pedaling into electrical current, which travels through wires to a 250W hub motor at the rear wheel—with no mechanical connection between wheel and pedal. By pedaling faster, the rider generates more power and the trike moves faster. Want to go backward? Just pedal backward.
According to Inspired, this drivetrain requires no maintenance for the first 50,000 kilometers. An added bonus is that since the motor handles most of the trike’s deceleration, the brake pads will last longer too.
The PERS Chainless system is now available on several of the company’s trike models, starting at existing base prices with the PERS added as a drivetrain option.
Photo: Inspired Cycle Engineering
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