What are the best small home appliances in Korea? A number of innovative products designed to greatly enhance convenience were selected at the 2014 Best Small Appliance Contest held by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy last month: Homelec's Cordless Massager, Cuckoo Electronics' air cleaner-dehumidifier and Chunglim Aqua's water-filter vacuum cleaner.
The Aqua vacuum cleaner is the only water-filter household cleaning machine produced in Korea. It does not discharge fine dust and it can suck in and clean up liquids. There is no dust bag or filter used in the vacuum cleaner and users only need to throw away waste water. Since it can suck in liquids, it can be used to clean up the bathroom floor.
The cordless massager is convenient to use precisely because it is not attached to any cords. It is very light, only weighing 750 grams. The massage pad is made of silicon and thus is very soft. It can be used to rub bony body parts such as hands, wrists and feet. After a two-hour charge, it can be used for 30 minutes per day for a week. The air cleaner-dehumidifier is the first product capable of all three of the following things: air purification, dehumidification and removal of microorganisms. It can filter and eliminate allergens such as dust, animal hair and pollen as well as household odors and cigarette smoke. The machine quickly compresses moisture in the air and freezes it to lower humidity and maintain a pleasant atmosphere. It can also dry clothes and shoes.
In addition to these three home appliances, there were an additional eight items selected as "good products." They were Steam Boy's cold and hot mat, Hajen's bluetooth speakers, Choice Technology's smartphone wireless camera shutter, Yujin Robot's Arte robot vacuum cleaner, HDIT's smart board, Mamirobot's Curling robot cleaner, Sound-Q's portable guitar practice machine, and Grentec's athlete's foot treatment device.
The cold and hot mat can be operated by both cold and hot water and thus can be used for heating in winter and cooling in summer. Unlike an electric mat, it does not discharge electromagnetic waves. The bluetooth speaker is tiny and easy to carry around. It boasts clear sound with a wide range of frequency and can give off 90 decibels of powerful music. It is equipped with a lithium-ion battery and is capable of a ten-hour playback. The wireless camera shutter can operate a smartphone camera through bluetooth and allows easy group shots at the touch of a button. There is no need to install an app and it automatically shuts down if it is idle for some time.
The Arte robot cleaner has cameras that can analyze its surroundings and the interior of a house. It can calculate its position and automatically clean every corner. The smart board has a 40-inch touchscreen monitor and can be used at both home and office. It can be used to adjust, edit and correct documents and save them to USB. The curling robot cleaner can sense obstacles using ultrasonic waves and can analyze interior spaces in the house so that it can thoroughly clean the entire space.
The portable guitar practice machine is shaped like the neck of a guitar and is easy to carry around. Music chords automatically appear and users can practice without looking at a chord chart. The athlete's foot treatment device's platinum gold electrodes generate hydrogen sterilization water and thus hydrogen enters deep into the skin and kills the fungus. Meanwhile, small jets and moving extensions generate whirls, which massage the feet.
The three winners will be given an opportunity for entry into overseas trade shows, merchandise consulting and foreign consumer evaluation.
"The small home appliance market has high potential for growth with the increase of single-person households," said an official at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. "They are very sensitive to market conditions and multiple items can be produced in small quantities. We'll continue to make an effort to find good products through small home appliance contests and to help support merchandising plans and expand distribution channels."
By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
jun2@korea.kr
(Clockwise from top) Homelec's cordless massager, Cuckoo Electronics' air cleaner dehumidifier and Chunglim Aqua's water-filter vacuum cleaner
The Aqua vacuum cleaner is the only water-filter household cleaning machine produced in Korea. It does not discharge fine dust and it can suck in and clean up liquids. There is no dust bag or filter used in the vacuum cleaner and users only need to throw away waste water. Since it can suck in liquids, it can be used to clean up the bathroom floor.
The cordless massager is convenient to use precisely because it is not attached to any cords. It is very light, only weighing 750 grams. The massage pad is made of silicon and thus is very soft. It can be used to rub bony body parts such as hands, wrists and feet. After a two-hour charge, it can be used for 30 minutes per day for a week. The air cleaner-dehumidifier is the first product capable of all three of the following things: air purification, dehumidification and removal of microorganisms. It can filter and eliminate allergens such as dust, animal hair and pollen as well as household odors and cigarette smoke. The machine quickly compresses moisture in the air and freezes it to lower humidity and maintain a pleasant atmosphere. It can also dry clothes and shoes.
In addition to these three home appliances, there were an additional eight items selected as "good products." They were Steam Boy's cold and hot mat, Hajen's bluetooth speakers, Choice Technology's smartphone wireless camera shutter, Yujin Robot's Arte robot vacuum cleaner, HDIT's smart board, Mamirobot's Curling robot cleaner, Sound-Q's portable guitar practice machine, and Grentec's athlete's foot treatment device.
(Clockwise from top) Steam Boy's cold and hot mat, Hajen's bluetooth speakers, and Choice Technology's smartphone wireless camera shutter
The cold and hot mat can be operated by both cold and hot water and thus can be used for heating in winter and cooling in summer. Unlike an electric mat, it does not discharge electromagnetic waves. The bluetooth speaker is tiny and easy to carry around. It boasts clear sound with a wide range of frequency and can give off 90 decibels of powerful music. It is equipped with a lithium-ion battery and is capable of a ten-hour playback. The wireless camera shutter can operate a smartphone camera through bluetooth and allows easy group shots at the touch of a button. There is no need to install an app and it automatically shuts down if it is idle for some time.
The Arte robot cleaner has cameras that can analyze its surroundings and the interior of a house. It can calculate its position and automatically clean every corner. The smart board has a 40-inch touchscreen monitor and can be used at both home and office. It can be used to adjust, edit and correct documents and save them to USB. The curling robot cleaner can sense obstacles using ultrasonic waves and can analyze interior spaces in the house so that it can thoroughly clean the entire space.
The portable guitar practice machine is shaped like the neck of a guitar and is easy to carry around. Music chords automatically appear and users can practice without looking at a chord chart. The athlete's foot treatment device's platinum gold electrodes generate hydrogen sterilization water and thus hydrogen enters deep into the skin and kills the fungus. Meanwhile, small jets and moving extensions generate whirls, which massage the feet.
(Clockwise from top) Yujin Robot's Arte robot vacuum cleaner, HDIT's smart board, and Mamirobot's Curling robot cleaner
The three winners will be given an opportunity for entry into overseas trade shows, merchandise consulting and foreign consumer evaluation.
"The small home appliance market has high potential for growth with the increase of single-person households," said an official at the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy. "They are very sensitive to market conditions and multiple items can be produced in small quantities. We'll continue to make an effort to find good products through small home appliance contests and to help support merchandising plans and expand distribution channels."
Sound-Q's portable guitar practice machine (right) and Grentec's athlete's foot treatment device
By Limb Jae-un
Korea.net Staff Writer
jun2@korea.kr
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