Fans are among the best ways to stay cool in the summer. They’re usually quiet, energy-efficient compared to air conditioners, and you can buy them in a variety of sizes and types, from tabletop and standing fans to larger tower fans and ceiling fans.
It’s hard to imagine how to improve on something this basic, but Dyson’s new Find+Follow Purifier Cool is a combination bladeless fan and air purifier that uses AI to blow purified air to wherever you’re in the room.
“We designed the Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool to respond to real human behavior,” said Omer Ali, senior Dyson engineer, in a press statement.
“You shouldn’t need to manually adjust your fan for comfort. With Find+Follow air projection, the machine automatically oscillates and directs airflow to the person — even as they move to different areas of the room, so you can enjoy consistent comfort without constantly repositioning the product.”
Think of it as an oscillating fan, just smarter. The AI vision system tracks movement through what Dyson calls a “17-key point user detection technology.”
However, the company says that while it recognizes how you move, it won’t recognize who you are or store your identity. All the AI processing happens on the machine, with the images analyzed in real time. Dyson says the images are instantly deleted and never stored or uploaded.
The big question I had when I saw the fan in Dyson’s showroom was how it handles multiple people in the same room. The answer is fairly straightforward. It automatically adjusts smart oscillation to evenly share purifier air among different people. The fan also turns off automatically when you leave the room, and it no longer detects movement, saving you energy in the long run.
In terms of specs, the Dyson Find+Follow has everything you’d expect from a top-tier smart fan and air purifier. It has a K-carbon and HEPA filter, which the company says can capture 50% more nitric dioxide, odors, volatile organic compounds, and 99.97% of ultrafine particles up to 0.3 microns. It meets HEPA H13 standards and features a built-in monitor that automatically checks for PM2.5, PM10, VOCs, NO2, and formaldehyde.
It’s controllable via the MyDyson app and should work in rooms up to 290 square feet. The included HEPA filter has a 1-year life, and the oscillation is up to 350 degrees. The entire unit weighs 12 pounds.
It’s not cheap. The Dyson Find+Follow Purifier Cool costs $850 at full price, making it more expensive than either a smart fan or an air purifier. That said, it’s actually not as costly as some of Dyson’s own high-end combination devices, like the $1,200 Dyson Purifier Big+Quiet Formaldehyde BP04 or the $1,100 Dyson Purifier Humidify+Cool PH2 De-NOx.
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