James Dyson isn’t the only one who can do unusual things with fan blades; Australian design student Benjamin McMahon has just won an award for his Ribbon Ceiling Fan, which not only looks far more impressive than a regular fan but is far more efficient.  The helical loop moves air faster than standard blades, as well as spreading it out across the room rather than pushing it directly down.

That makes for more efficient cooling of the whole room, even though the fan itself is using the same amount of power as before.  McMahon has designed it to be retro-fit compatible with existing ceiling fan hardware, too; the ribbon blade is suspended from five regular mounts.

No word on when we could see the ribbon ceiling fan up for sale, though McMahon does say he intends to commercialize the design.


[via Inventor Spot]