MIE.39 – Missy Mobile Hair Dryer

• Michael Duzey
• Cristian Esmeralda
• Matt Harms
• Mark Ordonez
• Juan Vargas

For individuals with long or thick hair, the drying process achieved with a standard hair dryer can take anywhere from 25 to 30 minutes, during which the person is constrained from doing anything else. Being able to simultaneously blow dry one’s hair while doing other tasks can improve productivity and allow for more free time. The goal of this project was to produce a working prototype of a hands free, cordless hair dryer by combining aspects of a typical hair dryer and one used in a salon. To do this, our team investigated ways of implementing a device that would attach to the user’s head and provide even air flow to achieve uniform drying. Mimicking the drying hood of a salon hair dryer, the team created a flexible, cloth bonnet that would fit around the user’s head with a tube attached at the back which is then attached downstream to the mechanism supplying the heated/unheated air. To make this device cordless, configuring battery cells in a parallel and series connection was done to provide enough energy to both heat the air to the correct temperature as well as keeping the device running long enough to achieve uniform drying. The correct temperature and speed of the supplied air was determined from existing hair dryers and was measured with an anemometer. Built in temperature sensors provide a safety measure in the event that the temperature exceeds a specified limit, which will cut the electrical supply to the heating element, eliminating the risk of combustion.