Dyson’s Hard Floor Washer Is Exposed

Will Dyson venture into the hard floor washer market? This is the biggest unknown in China's cleaning appliance industry and could be the final piece to shift the industry landscape.

If Dyson were to enter this segment, it would likely disrupt the current top positions of industry leaders through its formidable marketing efforts.

China is currently Dyson’s largest market. If Dyson believes that the demand for hard floor washers is negligible, then there's nothing much to discuss. It would be unwise to assume that Dyson does not pay attention to other brands' moves; this would indicate a lack of understanding of Dyson. I recall a friend telling me about how LG or Samsung once launched a vacuum cleaner with superior motor performance compared to Dyson’s, and at the time, they insisted on surpassing Dyson in specifications.

Should Dyson decide to enter the hard floor washer market, let's delve into what its product might look like from a technical standpoint. We eagerly await its launch to see if it lives up to expectations.

Overall Design:

The overall design will likely follow a standing vacuum cleaner format, with a framework that could be inspired by Dyson’s Ball series.

There are a few classic elements that are bound to be retained:

1. The multi-vortex cyclonic design, which is Dyson's hallmark technology and one they haven't abandoned in their robot vacuums; it certainly won't be left out of hard floor washers either.

1. Dyson Ball Design: Before the introduction of the cordless handheld vacuum cleaner, Dyson heavily promoted its Ball series in both upright and canister models, integrating a significant amount of advanced technology. It is likely that this design will be carried forward.

1. Brushless Motor for Suction Force

Limited by battery life, Dyson's main suction motor likely won't be oversized either, just a bit larger than those from other manufacturers, probably around 300W to 350W.

1. Direct Drive Suction Motor.

The use of direct drive suction motors in scrubbers is most prominently seen on Dyson's cyclones. Previously, due to concerns over Dyson's patents, many brush manufacturers hesitated to adopt the direct drive motor solution. In the era of hard floor washers, leading companies in the industry have adopted direct drive solutions, and others followed suit. The actual patent risk remains unclear.

Nevertheless, when it comes to direct drive motors, Dyson is likely to continue leading the industry and has the capability to address issues such as motor overheating and waterproofing.

Displays and Sensors

Following Dyson's iterations, precise piezoelectric sensors are now used by Dyson to count the amount of dust in a vacuum cleaner and display this information on the screen. This feature represents a significant advancement for certain leading brands in the industry.

1. Battery Cells

The battery cells are likely to be from Moli and Sony Murata, with a probable configuration of 10-12 21700 cells. This setup should enable the vacuum cleaner motor to deliver a power output that surpasses its competitors.

1. Brush Roll

A single brush roll is most likely to be used, as there has been no significant cleaning efficiency improvement observed with dual brush rolls. The only advantage of using a double brush roll is reduced effort when pulling it backward. Therefore, Dyson should adopt the single-brush-roll design. Additionally, the previous use of fabric brush rolls had issues such as odor development and delayed dirt recovery. I believe this area will be where Dyson focuses its main innovation.

Composite Innovative Materials

Personal estimates suggest the use of some composite materials that do not emit odors and are less prone to harboring stains, making them easier to dry. If this level is achieved, it could essentially mean a curveball over industry competitors.

3.0 Roller Brush Motor

Tineco's 3.0 model features a roller brush motor, which is convenient for pulling forward and pushing backward, offering more ease of use in actual applications. This feature is likely to become standard in high-end machines. It is estimated that Dyson's hard floor washer will further enhance this functionality by predicting the movements during both forward and backward operations, thereby making these actions smoother.

1. Water Tank Capacity

The clear water tank and the dirty water tank are each designed to hold 850 mL, which should be sufficient. If they were any larger, the robot would become unbalanced and particularly unappealing. There is also no special need for them to be any bigger.

Maneuverability

Currently, most hard floor washers lack sufficient maneuverability and cannot achieve a full 360-degree turn. It is likely that Dyson will address this area in its adjustments.

1. Water Level False Alarms

Currently, most industries rely on wastewater sensing systems that frequently trigger false alarms. The root cause is the lack of high-precision sensors. Dyson should implement higher precision sensors to eliminate water level false alarms.

1. Water Pumps

Currently, water pumps do not offer very precise flow control. I believe Dyson would require its suppliers to develop a new pump and high-precision sensors that can work in tandem for more accurate water management. This way, the system could adjust water flow based on the condition of the mopping pad, the dirtiness of the floor, and the amount of standing water.

The benefit here is that when the mopping pad is very wet, it can reduce water supply to minimize excess moisture on the floor.

1. Mop Edges

Dual mop edges should become a standard feature.

1. Hair Tangle Prevention

Hair tangle prevention has long been a challenge for the entire cleaning appliances industry. I estimate that there will likely be some adjustments in this area, at least not falling behind other competing products.

1. Electrolyzed Water/Antibacterial Solutions

Currently, due to their limited practical effects, it is highly unlikely that Dyson will adopt electrolyzed water or antibacterial solution technologies. This could potentially become a focal point for Dyson's extensive advertising campaigns aimed at attacking its competitors.

1. Drying Solutions.

If Dyson were to incorporate some new materials that make it easier and less prone to odor, it might opt for a spin-dry and air-dry approach rather than a drying solution. I believe it is highly likely that they would adopt the Dyson Hand Dryer Airblade paired with special bristle materials to quickly dry the items.

Other more in-depth details will not be elaborated on here.

Would Dyson have a chance to reach its peak if it were to release such a hard floor washer, coupled with several hundred million dollars in advertising investment?