Bagless vacuum inventor James Dyson introduces bladeless fan

He pioneered the bagless vacuum cleaner and more recently has transformed the UK's public toilets with his revolutionary hand-dryer. Yesterday the billionaire businessman and inventor Sir James Dyson unveiled his latest product – a desk fan that he hopes will provide a greener alternative to office air conditioning and a safer and more efficient product for use at home.



His latest hi-tech gadget looks nothing like a conventional fan, consisting of a "loop" perched on a sturdy cylinder rather than the wobbly model with oscillating blades we have all become used to. Using the same technology at the heart of the Airblade hand-dryer, it expels 405 litres of cool, smooth air every second. Unlike top-heavy conventional fans, the Dyson fan has an energy-efficient motor at its base, meaning it has a low centre of gravity and does not topple over.

Dyson said that he had long been disappointed by conventional fans, which relied on technology that had hardly changed since 1880. He explained: "Their spinning blades chop up the airflow, causing annoying buffeting. They're hard to clean. And children always want to poke their fingers through the grille. So we've developed a new type of fan that doesn't use blades."



The fan is made from a tough thermoplastic which is used to make car bumpers, crash helmets and modern golf club heads because of its shock-absorbing qualities. Available in two sizes, it will retail for £199, initially from specialist design stores and from Argos next January.