as temperatures soar higher than ever before, the idea of a portable, wearable air conditioner that keeps you cool via a smartphone app seems pretty idyllic, if not a little far-fetched. well according to sony, it’s apparently not. the reon pocket, from the company’s startup acceleration program, is a small device that does just that.
images courtesy of sony / first flight JP
the reon pocket utilizes thermoelectric cooling but sony says you can also use it as a heater on winter days. it can supposedly cool a user’s body temperature by 13 degrees celsius (23 degrees fahrenheit) and raise your temperature by about 8 degrees celsius (about 14 degrees fahrenheit).
the reon pocket is a bluetooth device about the size of a card wallet that slips into a special undershirt with a pocket at the base of the neck. it connects to an app which gives users control of the temperature via their smartphone.
the wearable air conditioner supports ios and android, has a battery life of 90 minutes and a charge time of 2 hours. it looks a little like an apple mouse, weighs just 85 grams and uses USB-c.
first unveiled summer 2019, sony planned to launch the gadget just in time for the tokyo olympics, a timetable the japanese company followed. each device is 14,080 jpy (approx. $130) and is currently available in different japanese sites. for more information, follow this link.
project info
company: sony
name: reon pocket
status: completed
where to buy: here
SONY (55)
Mar 04, 2021
Oct 19, 2020
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Jun 12, 2020WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY (232)
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Jan 13, 2021PRODUCT LIBRARY
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Mar 30, 2021
after researching (googling) thermoelectric cooling or peltier devices it looks like the device is better used as a heater rather than a cooler. Interesting that the device is worn under not one but two shirts – not sure how that works with the heat dispersion that’s required. The system looks like it will draw heat or act as a heat pump, not sure how it will circulate cool air to provide the effect of air conditioning.
Please add me to the US waiting list, thank you!
There are a lot of people who cannot control their temperature due to surgeries, accidents, etc. This could be a game changer for them. Also, with climate change, living in about 1/3 of the world is already unbearable for most.
I have seen neck cooling devices even in the 90ies in the USA. But alas – they were of course not so well connected to a smartphone. That makes sense because…because…because…why does it make sense? Just for selling one more stupid smartphone app?