Dyson says it was inspired to create the PencilVac by its hair dryers, which pack small yet powerful motors inside their handles. The PencilVac has Dyson's smallest, most powerful vacuum cleaner motor to date, a Hyperdymium 140k. The motor is barely over an inch in diameter (28mm), yet it can reach 140,000 RPM.

It's been almost ten years since Dyson first unveiled its Supersonic hair dryer, which put its signature bladeless fan technology into a styling product. For a company that was known primarily for its vacuums at the time,

Dyson has announced what it’s claiming is the “world’s slimmest vacuum cleaner.” At first glance, its new PencilVac looks like a broom rather than a vacuum because the battery, motor, and electronics are all integrated into a thin handle that’s just 38mm in diameter — the same thickness as Dyson’s Supersonic r hair dryer.