- 'Portable microwave' is presented at the Consumer Electronics Show in the US
- The Japanese bag reaches a temperature of 90 °C in 10 minutes, 130 °C in 20 minutes and reaches a top temperature of 250 °C
- Willtex said the product will go on sale in Britain in May for between £120 and £150
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At first glance it seems like a handy laptop bag, but this shoulder bag can heat up your lunch on the go.
Wearers simply put their food in a Tupperware, put it in the bag, zip it closed and then use a smartphone app to choose the heat setting.
The world's first “portable microwave” is one of a number of ingenious designs on display this week at the 2024 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. The world's first 'flying car' is also on display.
The bag works thanks to a patented e-fabric lining that generates intense and consistent temperatures, powered by a rechargeable battery.
Users can continue walking while cooking thanks to a cotton and aluminum outer layer that protects them from the heat.
Tokyo-based Willtex won an innovation award in Las Vegas for its bag that can double as a microwave to prepare the wearer's lunch
The bag can reach a temperature of 90 degrees Celsius in ten minutes and a temperature of 130 degrees Celsius in double that, with a maximum temperature of 250 degrees Celsius
The key to the consistency is that each individual thread is heated, meaning it is heated perfectly evenly across the material
The bag, called the Willcook, weighs only 280 grams and can be washed like any regular cloth if food scraps get into the bag. The Japanese company behind the design won an innovation award at this week's show in Las Vegas.
Tokyo-based Willtex said it plans to launch the product in Britain in May and that it will be available on Amazon for a price between £120 and £150. The bag can reach a temperature in ten minutes of 90 degrees Celsius and twice that a temperature of 130 degrees Celsius, with a maximum temperature of 250 degrees Celsius. A normal microwave, on the other hand, has an average cooking temperature of 100C.
Once the food is heated, the insulation layers ensure that even when the appliance is switched off, the food can remain at 60 degrees Celsius for two hours.
The key to the consistency is that each individual thread is heated, meaning it is heated perfectly evenly across the material.
A fully charged battery can heat for up to eight hours.
The Willcook can be worn across the body with an adjustable strap, or can be folded and put in a backpack.
The outer layer that protects the wearer can also be used to keep the items in the bag cool. Cold beer, for example, can be stored for up to three hours at a temperature of about 4 to 8 degrees Celsius.
Willtex also integrates the e-fabric into clothing, such as jackets, with four temperature controls that can quickly warm the person wearing it.
Anyone interested in the flying car doesn't need a pilot's license, but must complete a two-week training course and be prepared to pay the £150,000 price tag.
The single-seater Helix has a range of approximately 32 kilometers and a cruising speed of 100 km/h.
However, regulations mean customers can't quite go from one side of the city to the other yet. They are only allowed to fly during the day and over quiet areas.
There is no legal requirement to inform air traffic control of their presence, but users must 'take full responsibility for their own safety'.
Using a joystick, the pilot can lift the Helix into the air at a speed of 150 meters per minute. Although it's not yet available in Britain, the US company behind it – California-based Pivotal – said it was 'in its sights'.