Whenever Dyson enters a new product category, it often creates a ripple effect that pushes competitors to respond. The company helped popularize premium stick vacuum cleaners and high-end hair dryers. Now, Dyson is turning its attention to oral care with an innovative electric toothbrush and water flosser.
On Tuesday, Dyson announced the CameraJet, a two-in-one electric toothbrush and water flosser designed to clean teeth and target hard-to-reach spaces between them. Although this is not Dyson’s first hybrid product—the short-lived Dyson Zone combined headphones with air purification—the CameraJet could have more practical everyday applications. Its built-in camera and targeted flossing system make it unlike most conventional oral-care devices.
The Dyson CameraJet combines an electric toothbrush with an integrated flosser that sprays liquid into the gaps between your teeth while you brush. But how does it know where to direct the spray? A built-in endoscopic camera analyzes 28 images per second, identifying dental gaps and releasing short bursts of mouthwash as you move the device across your teeth.
Dyson calls the technology the Gap Optical Targeting System. The company says the CameraJet uses a macro-lens camera and machine-learning algorithms trained on 470,000 dental images collected during six years of product development. According to Dyson, the system responds within 100 milliseconds. As you brush normally, the camera detects the spaces between your teeth and automatically targets them with mouthwash.
Provided by Dyson
The CameraJet’s fluid jet is another notable piece of engineering. Dyson says the device produces a cone-shaped stream that can remove plaque more effectively than the narrow, “needle-type jets” found in some standalone water flossers. The company claims its conical jet covers a larger area while using less pressure, which may make the toothbrush gentler on gums and tooth enamel.
To evaluate the technology, Dyson worked with the National University of Singapore’s School of Dentistry to develop a synthetic plaque substitute. This allowed the design team to repeatedly test the electric toothbrush and water flosser in a laboratory setting without conducting clinical trials after every minor design change.
A reservoir positioned below the brush head holds 12.5 milliliters of alcohol-free mouthwash. The diaphragm pump and pressure chamber are designed to fire the water-flossing jet regardless of how the toothbrush is held. Dyson says this gives the CameraJet an advantage over competing devices, although tilting the toothbrush can reduce performance. With the push of a button, the charging dock refills the reservoir with mouthwash in less than three seconds. The dock also recharges the CameraJet and provides a dedicated resting place above the sink. A travel case is included for transporting the complete system.
Source: www.wired.com