5 Product Innovations from Asia

Today, technology in Asia is innovating at an exponential rate and this not only applies to digital, but physical products as well. In this article, we highlight five product innovations from Asia in 2019.

Toyota: Solar Panel Electric Vehicles
In July 2019, Toyota announced test trials of a new version of their plug-in hybrid Prius equipped with Sharp solar panels on the roof, hood, and rear hatch door. These solar panels have an astounding efficiency of 34 percent-plus and generates an output of around 860W, almost five times more than the standard Prius model.

Sony: Personal A/C
In July 2019, the hottest month ever recorded in history, Sony unveiled the Reon Pocket. It’s a personal, wallet sized thermoelectric powered A/C that is inserted into the back of a shirt. The device is controlled by an app, and can lower the user’s body temperature by 23F or raise it by 14F. It is expected to be released in Japan in March 2020 at a cost of about $117 USD.

Smoking Cabin SG: Outdoor Smoking Cabin
In May 2019, in Singapore, Smoking Cabin SG launched an outdoor smoking cabin that converts 99.5% of cigarette smoke into clean air. The air filtration system is activated by motion sensors when a smoker enters the cabin, and can house up to 10 smokers at a time. The company plans to have 60 cabins nationwide by the end of 2019.

Vincross: Robot Plant
In May 2019, a six-legged robot plant, Hexa, was nominated for a DRIVENxDESIGN’s NOW Award. Hexa can carry a small succulent plant on its back and automatically moves around to find sunlight and shade as needed for the plant. It can also sense when the plant needs water and will dance to alert the owner. It can be purchased for about $949 USD.

Mitsubishi: Premium Toaster
In April 2019, Mitsubishi Electric launched the Bread Oven. This premium toaster heats one slice of bread at a time to perfection by trapping in moisture. This makes the toast taste like freshly baked bread. The toaster can also be used to make French toast, cheese toast, or an egg on top. It can be purchased for about $270 USD.

Sources: Trendwatching, Popular Mechanics