Archive for the 'Inventions' Category
Shoes That Capture Electricity
Popular Science: Humans are not very efficient. When we walk, we waste close to 20 watts of energy per second. Instead of turning all calories into lift or forward motion, we turn most of them into heat that’s quickly dissipated. So my colleagues and I came up with a way to harvest the wasted energy [...]
Think swimming with the dolphins is exciting? How about swimming like a dolphin?! Invented by French jet ski champion Franky Zapata, the Flyboard allows daredevils to leap in and out of the water like an aquatic mammal. It can even do backward-somersaults. Although it’s similar to the Jetlev released earlier this year, the Jetlev doesn’t [...]
Well-Known Inventions By Young Inventors: Earmuffs
A teenager into ice skating isn’t very unusual, and it doesn’t necessarily mark that teen out for future financial success. In Chester Greenwood’s case, his love of the winter sport was hindered only by the bitterly cold weather that hurt his ears. After experimenting with a few quick solutions, Greenwood enlisted his grandmother’s help. He [...]
Niche Biz: The Shower Powered Radio
The Telegraph: The H20 water-powered radio clips onto the water pipe that runs up to a shower head. Using micro turbine technology, the radio is powered by the water pressure running up a pipe. “The radio runs on energy generated solely through the flow of water, starting as the shower is turned on. It harnesses [...]
Chiropractor Turns Inventor With Back Device
It didn’t matter that Roland S. Berthiaume has spent the past 15 years as a chiropractor, he still couldn’t manage to get his own back straightened out when he needed it most. So, he invented a device that would do it for him. He’s formed a company called NGC Industries with Springfield businessman and landlord [...]
Business Week: In 2008, Jay LeBoeuf, 34, founded Imagine Research, a startup that on Nov. 9 unveiled its MediaMined software, which enables music and film producers to search, classify, and retrieve all manner of audio files. The software currently recognizes 400 distinct sounds, including instruments, voices, and noises like a dog’s bark and the crack [...]
Hedy Lamarr: Actress and Inventor
Most people know Hedy as the beautiful actress who pushed the boundaries on what was allowed in early films. What most people do not know is that she had an interest in science. She also patented the predecessor to today’s Bluetooth technology. Her idea involved making a radio signal “hop around from radio frequency to [...]
Rocket Mail, 1931 Before “rocketmail” was the name of a short-lived free e-mail service in the late ’90s, it was an idea propounded by German inventor Professor Oberth, who thought it was a good idea to literally use a high-velocity, ill-aimed projectile to deliver mail from Berlin to New York City. He claimed to be [...]
The Final Frontier: How Do You Wash Dirty Underwear in Space?
Since there are no washing machines on the International Space Station, astronauts often wear the same underwear for three or four days before disposing of it by hurtling it back towards Earth where, hopefully, it burns up on reentry. The costs of sending anything in space currently range from between $2500 and $5000 per pound, [...]
Bag Rack Inventor Markets To The Traveler
Ever wish you had some way to hold your bag open for you, while you try to stuff it with whatever you need? That is just one of the many uses the Bag Rack has. Drew Schiller, the man behind the rack, is hoping to add travel to that list. The all American-made BagRack – [...]
What would you do with a 26-pound gummy bear? Imagine the shock of your party goers when they realize that your 32,000-calorie gummy bear also features an integrated one-liter serving bowl! Serve punches, candies, or even more gummy bears from within this seventeen-inch-long confection. The giant gummy bear sells for $149! More photos after the [...]
Michael Powell faced a fear many low budget inventors encounter, and he won. In this case, he tackled Home Depots theft of his invention, and he won a generous settlement. It’s been seven years since he showed Home Depot officials a saw guard he invented that allowed it to continue to cut lumber for its [...]
How do you explain DNA to people who are less than interested? Make it fun, of course. Jun Axup, a biochemistry student, has made a DNA plush toy. The hand-sized plush dolls look more like Saturday morning cartoon characters than anything Axup might encounter under a microscope while working on new cancer drugs. The dolls [...]
A Mouthwash to Rid the World of Dentists?
A microbiologist at the UCLA School of Dentistry has developed a mouthwash that successfully destroys the harmful bacteria that is the principal cause tooth decay and cavities. In a recent clinical study, 12 subjects who rinsed just one time with the experimental mouthwash experienced a nearly complete elimination of the S. mutans bacteria over the [...]
Its the toy that will “Keepon” dancing. Originally designed as a therapy device, the Keepon has turned into an unexpected toy success instead. “We used the robot in the playroom and a therapist in another room is controlling the robot. In the research version the eyes are cameras, the nose is a microphone and a [...]
Did you miss the buttons on your Blackberry when you switched to the iPhone? An inventor has tapped her way into the market to create a special stylus ring. She came up with the idea of a special ring to make texting simpler. The silicone spheres, which come in a set of two for $30, [...]
First it was the milk bottle that went green, now the same company is turning to paper for wine bottles! The first question that I’m sure immediately comes to everyone’s mind is how a paper bottle full of wine doesn’t just turn to mush moments after being filled. And the simple answer is by using [...]
Ever wanted to surf without the fear of sharks? While there was not much you could do before, Joel Centeio is hoping to change that with his special shark repelling device. The tiny box on the Velcro strap is called the Electronic Shark Defense System or ESDS. Wilson Vinano created the lightweight machine. He said [...]
Using Rattlesnakes Fight Cancer
Popular Science: An Irish company is using four American diamondback rattlesnakes in a new clinical trial that will test snake venom as a treatment for cancer. The snakes, which hail from the Albuquerque BioPark, will be allowed to bite something and have their venom extracted humanely. The venom contains proteins that will be extracted and [...]
When we look at all the fancy inventions people have come up with over the years, sometimes we forget to consider where many of these people got their start. It is often a problem in need of a simple solution that gets the creative juices flowing. Don Schendel would know. His latest invention, a 15 [...]
When Charlie and Chocolate Factory premiered in theaters, Warner Bros. executives wanted to infuse the air outside the theater and inside the lobby with the rich fragrance of Wonka bars. They turned to a company called ScentEvents to do it. According to the company, they can scent any sized event, either inside or out. Two [...]
Tackling Germs On Hospital Door Handles
If the handle doesn’t squirt sanitizer on your hand, then maybe the power of light will help keep those handles sanitized instead? “It all came to me when I was thinking about when you go to the bathroom, a lot of people use paper towels to exit the bathroom because they’re scared of the handle. [...]
After John Sprange’s father developed Alzheimer’s, he couldn’t help but wonder if there was some way he could help fight to maintain some of his memories. When his father went into a home, he made a list of cherished memories for his father to look over. Unfortunately, it was constantly set away whenever staff would [...]
When April King, a nurse anesthetist , had an idea for a device that would open up a patients airways and help elevate their jaw during sedation, she turned to the San Diego Inventors Forum. They helped her obtain the resources she needed to make her idea an actual product. Through the organization, she met [...]
The Robotic Shipping Department
Long after Webvan.com’s legendary flameout in 2001, the online grocer’s biggest problem never left Mick Mountz’s mind. As employee No. 400 at the dot-com, he knew that it simply cost too much to fulfill online orders. Labor was the killer cost. Ten years later, he’s solved the labor problem with his company Kiva Systems. Kiva’s [...]
Niche Biz: Bulletproof Clipboards
Is your clipboard bullet and stab proof? The Ballistic Clipboard from Impact Armor Technologies is. It was designed after a local law enforcement agency requested a way to protect their officers during traffic stops gone awry. According to the company, the clipboard, which weighs less than two pounds, will stop multiple hits shots from 9mm, [...]
Niche: Raincoat With Umbrella Hood
People have been inventing new ways to stay dry for a while, but Athanasia Leivaditou’s combined umbrella rain coat takes it to a whole new level. Athanasia Leivaditou’s creation is a waterproof Macintosh with a umbrella-like section that goes over your head. The hood is supported so that it sits firm and is rigid enough [...]
At Hammacher Schlemmer, they’re selling a remote controlled ski boat. Before you say, “ho humm,” though, know that his RC boat is a bit different. For one, it will actually pull a water skier. And, it get’s better: the skier is the one controlling the remote! This is the unmanned water skiing boat that’s controlled [...]
Instead of peeling the label off your apple, next time you might just wash it. Amron’s Vanishing Fruitwash Labels are labels that dissolve into an organic fruit wash that helps remove wax, pesticides and dirt. More features: Washing turns label into Fruit Soap No stickers to peel off and throw away No expensive produce wash [...]
Inventor Resolves The Dough Problem
Unless you make bread, you probably do not know how frustrating the process can be. Especially when you’re trying to get a ball of raw, yeasty dough to rise. Fickle, the dough demands to be held at a comfortable 80 degrees — a climate not native to most kitchens, where the oven is too warm, [...]
Inventors Digest: Here’s how you can dramatically increase your odds of success in licensing. Understand that licensing involves quantity and persistence. If one company isn’t interested, another might be. In any case, you should find out why each company isn’t interested. Don’t assume that your invention lacks merit until you have enough feedback. Submit to [...]
Slap Wraps Inventor Does What’s Right
Even though they were not his slap bracelets with the inappropriate images that elementary kids received, the inventor of the original Slap Wrap took the initiative to replace them with kid-friendly bracelets instead. Stuart Anders, who invented the bracelets, felt the defective products should be replaced. ”As the original inventor of the Slap Wraps toy [...]
Wired UK: Mark Post, a vascular biologist at the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands, is about to create a proof-of-concept lab-grown hamburger. It won’t come cheap — Post reckons it’ll cost around [$345,000] to assemble from thin layers of muscle strips packed together with some lab-grown fat. “The first one will be a proof [...]
NeverWet: You Can’t Get It Wet!
Hydrophobic means that something repels water. Oil, for instance, is commons substance that is hydrophobic. Well, Ross Nanotechnology has developed a super hydrophobic coating that completely repels water and heavy oils. Called NeverWet, any object coated with it literally cannot be touched by liquid. Any liquid placed on this coating is repelled and simply rolls [...]
This video of a machine drilling square holes has making the rounds on the interwebs today. I thought it was pretty fascinating, and wanted to share a couple other videos of drills drilling square holes I found while researching the invention. More videos after the jump.
Airdrop Harvests Moisture Directly From Air
Edward Linacre, a student at Melbourne, Australia’s Swinburne University. has won this year’s James Dyson Award, with his “Airdrop Irrigation” system. The system harvest water from the air and delivers it directly to the roots of plants by mimicking a trick from the Namib beetle. Minute water droplets from the fog gather on its wings; [...]
Smelly-vision is here! Olly is a little white box that you connect to the internet that notifies you via your sense of smell. When it receives a notification from the internet, be it a new email, or a tweet or a change in weather, it emits a smell just like a Glade Automatic Spray.
Arkay is the world’s first non-alcoholic whisky. Do people really want the taste of whisky without the alcohol? Am I missing something? Is there really a market for something like this? ArKay, the world`s first alcohol free whisky flavored drink is designed for the socialite to the construction worker. The exceptional taste of whisky without [...]
What scent strips are for fine fragrances, Peel ‘n Taste flavor strips are for flavored products; a way to market the most important sensory aspect of your product. Peel ‘n Taste flavor strips are edible film strips (similar to popular breath strips) which are flavored to the taste experience of a food or beverage brand. [...]
Niche Biz: Hygenic Hospital Door Handles
The Hygiene Handle is covered in 23 pressure points that release a sterile gel when it is pulled to open the door. Inventor Matt Roberts, 31, said the idea has been trialled at two hospitals and he is hoping the invention will be rolled out nationally by the NHS. The father-of-one, said: ‘I came up [...]
Inventor’s Laser Can Turn Brown Eyes Blue
If you have brown eyes, but you’ve always wanted them to be blue, an inventor has a new device that can make that change permanent. Gregg Homer, founder of Stroma Medical in Laguna Beach, Calif., told the Daily News he’s already tested the irreversible cosmetic treatment on about 12 volunteers in Mexico, safely removing small [...]
Curious Little Safety Inventions
What lead to the invention of most safety products? Necessity. Here are two little inventions we shouldn’t live without. Duane Pearsall did not intend to create a smoke detector in 1965 – instead he was trying to measure static electricity in a dark room. He became irritated when the device, which was measuring the concentration [...]
The electric transmissions has seen quite a few innovations, but manual has not been that lucky. However, John Otto hopes to change that with the synchro-clutch. His new design eliminates the need for a foot clutch, making shifting less complicated compared to traditional manual transmissions. The clutch also shifts gears without resorting to actuators and [...]
NordicTrack Inventor Passes On
The NordicTrack held a big place in 80′s exercise history, and it is all thanks to Ed Pauls, the inventor and avid skier. Ed passed on early last month. Star Tribune takes a look at the history of his NordicTrack. In his basement, he invented NordicTrack, initially popular with skiers but quickly a hit with [...]
New iPhone App Recognizes Barcodes and Products
eCommerce Bytes: Amazon.com subsidiary A9.com launched a new iPhone app that uses both barcode and image recognition to recognize tens of millions of products in a live camera view in a real world setting. Flow Powered by Amazon recognizes products, from books and DVDs to packaged electronics and toys, and the mobile app offers shoppers [...]
Holland Sentinal: “The highway centerline has been called the single most important traffic safety device in the history of automobile transportation, and Edward Hines originated it right here in Michigan, ”State Transportation Director Kirk T. Steudle said when accepting the award on behalf of the Hines family and the state. Widely recognized as one of [...]
The “Pizza-Size Burger,” a new hamburger available at Burger King Japan take is almost 9 inches in diameter. It’s topped with four overlapping Whopper patties. According to Inventor Spot you can “order the Pizza-Size Burger in two different styles, though both styles are served in an odd “half & half” format with one half featuring [...]
The Detroit News: It’s like an iPhone in the form of a streetlight. That’s how inventor Ron Harwood described his Intellistreets poles Friday at a ribbon-cutting ceremony launching the innovative technology. The modern poles use LED lights that can be dimmed at all hours of the day, cutting down on energy costs. They also have [...]
Tyz Scarves: Fashion You Can Mold
Women love fashion, and its impossible not to love a piece of fashion that will stay in place. That is the idea behind Tyz Scarves. You can always tie a regular scarf around your neck, or you can mold a beautiful scarf so it will sit on your neck in the position you want it [...]
Rollerblade Inventor Thinking Big
The inventor of rollerblades, Scott Olson, has moved on from the blades we all know and love. Now he is taking everybody’s feet off the ground. His new company, SkyRide Technology, is now marketing SkyRide. Olson has invented an elevated track and hanging from it is either a SkyRower or SkyBike, propelled by the person [...]
