We were fortunate enough to meet with members of the design and development team from Mitsubishi Electric recently. They agreed to answer some questions from us on their views on hand dryers and some thoughts on the future:
1. Is it true that the Mitsubishi Jet-Towel was the first ‘blade’ hand dryer?
Emphatically, yes! The Jet Towel was launched in 1993, and was a completely revolutionary concept Mitsubishi Electric designers developed and patented. It was 10 or 15 years before anybody else had a working derivative.
2. What do you think are the most important features in hand dryer design?
Speed of drying is very important or users will walk off with still-wet hands, feeling dissatisfied and a creating hygiene risk. The Jet Towel dries hands in 9-11 seconds, the top in its class. However, hand dryers have other important features as well, such as noise, ease of use, and hygiene. Mitsubishi Electric draws on its 20+ years of experience to create a well-balanced product that excels in each category.
3. In which countries are Mitsubishi hand dryers the most popular?
Naturally Japan was the first country to experience the Jet Towel, and it proved an instant hit with its hygiene and efficiency performance. As of now, the Jet Towel has an estimated 40% market share in the Japanese market. It is also proving very popular in the US and Europe, including the UK of course.
4. Since you first introduced the Jet-Towel, what features have been added and improved?
We are on the Mark 8 version of Jet Towel, which has improved drastically the basic features of drying performance, noise, and energy efficiency over the years. On top of that, the Jet Towel has introduced new details such as antibacterial coating, larger and roomier drying areas, and child sensors to make it easy for kids to use as well. My personal favourite new feature on the Mark 8 is a blue ‘in use’ light which glows on your hands – kids love it and it encourages them to follow a proper drying routine.
5. What new features do you think will become common in hand dryers in the future?
Generally speaking, many hand dryers today lack balance. For example, there are hand dryers with fast air speed, but use large amounts of energy and generate noise. Or, have many original features, but are lacking in comfort and ease of use. The Mitsubishi Jet Towel strives to strike a balance to make a well-rounded product that is well-accepted by a wide range of the market.
6. Are you going to remain focused on ‘hands-in’ dryers?
Yes, as the original inventor of the high-speed hand dryer, we will continue to perfect the Jet Towel as a high-end product.
In a separate article, which you can read here, there’s a great picture of the first prototype of what went on to become the Jet-Towel blade dryer: essential reading for any hand dryer fanatic!
