Sony might have a solution for us as we try to cope up with the scorching heat outdoors. With its First Flight program, Sony crowdfunds the Reon Pocket, a wearable air conditioner that slips into a pouch in a special t-shirt.
The stealthy device doesn't condition the air as such. Rather, it sits at the base of your neck and uses the Peltier effect (where heat is absorbed or emitted when you pass an electrical current across a junction) to either lower your temperature by 23F or raise it by 14F, all without bulk or noise. You could wear a stuffy business outfit on a hot day and avoid looking like you've just stepped out of a sauna.
Unfortunately, the product is expected to ship in March of the next year, which means that we just have to find ways to keep ourselves cool this summer.
What are your thoughts on this one?
(Video Credit: First Flight JP/ YouTube)
Newest 1 Comment
Peltier devices are terribly inefficient air conditioners, so they generate even more heat for the little cold they put out. Being wearable, that heat is going to be released very close to your body. If the wind blows the wrong way, all that heat will come back into your face. And they really need a fan to function, so it won't be silent at all.You know what would work a whole lot better for any given amount of battery power in 99% of situations??? Fans just blowing ambient air over your skin. A much better cooling design would be one of those blue ice pack things, in an insulated box, with a temperature controlled damper and fan blowing the cold air on you. You have to throw it in your freezer to recharge, but it would actually be able to do a decent job, unlike this concept.If you really seriously needed active cooling, you'd go with either the common chemical ice packs as needed, or cans of highly compressed gas with temperature regulators. Liquid nitrogen would of course be an excellent choice, but even simple computer blowers or hairspray cans demonstrate the same cooling effect when they are discharged.
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