The Coanda: Revolutionizing Ceiling Fans with Smart Technology

Constantino Papatsoris and Santiago Castillo Redefine Traditional Ceiling Fans

Traditional ceiling fans are an energy-efficient way to regulate the temperature of a room, but their design has remained largely unchanged. They rely on unintuitive chains for controls, are difficult to clean, and often detract from the aesthetic of a room. The Coanda, however, is a ceiling fan that breaks the mold. With no visible controls or blades, it comes in a smaller package than conventional fans, and connects to smartphones to learn users’ preferences, communicate with smart thermostats, and regulate intensity and airflow direction.

The Coanda's design is inspired by air pressure amplifiers and internal fans found in laptop computers. It uses electromagnetic motors to propel the fan blades, with built-in LED-powered light fixtures that provide bright illumination at low energy costs. The device is made of mostly recyclable and reusable materials, including aluminum, glass, and dark grain wood, and measures 12” x 35” x 35”, not including the adjustable down rod and ceiling base.

The Coanda controls the pressure and direction of air flow caused by the fan blades to provide an optimal output with smaller blades than traditional fans. The design is horizontally symmetrical so that airflow direction allows for thermal destratification in winter months, pushing warm air so it flows to the bottom of a cold room. App connectivity allows users to control the fan's speed from 0 to 100%, while the fan’s learning features enable it to provide optimal comfort and energy efficiency.

The project was started in January 2014 in Savannah, Georgia, United States. The Coanda was designed after researching the physical properties of air flow dynamics, particularly the Coanda effect and Bernoulli Principle, as well as after conducting primary and secondary research on the opportunity and demand for connected appliances and smart temperature controls. The biggest challenge while designing the Coanda was finding an original, effective method for air circulation with no visible blades without sacrificing energy efficiency and intensity of air flow. This was overcome by drawing inspiration from laptop computer fans and automated batting cages, among other things.

The Coanda, designed by Constantino Papatsoris and Santiago Castillo, is a smart, connected ceiling fan that communicates with smartphones via a dedicated app. Users can toggle the built-in LED light fixture, control location or time-based "on" and "off" settings, airflow intensity, automated temperature optimization based on seasonal changes, and communication with smart thermostats to reach optimal temperature and energy savings. The Coanda rethinks the traditional ceiling fan design, accounting for fluid dynamics and inspiration provided by computer fans and industrial air amplifiers.

The Coanda's innovative design and smart technology have not gone unnoticed. In 2014, it was awarded the Golden A' Home Appliances Design Award, a prestigious accolade granted to marvelous, outstanding, and trendsetting creations that reflect the designer's prodigy and wisdom. These are venerated products and bright ideas that advance art, science, design, and technology, embodying extraordinary excellence and significantly impacting the world with their desirable characteristics.