I have quite a few pages on the site that detail my own "mental
inventions," so I thought it was time to get back to reality.
Here are some of the new inventions that recently caught my eye.
I am writing this in 2011, but when I add invention and innovation
pages I will link to them from here. But first, here is a video
on how to dream up your own new inventions:
Solar Powered Tent
A company called "Orange" has a new tent that has
solar panels as part of its roof. They can be used to provide
power for your cell phone or other mobile devices. It also has
an integrated geo-location technology. If you have lost track
of it you can send a signal and it will glow so you'll see it
more easily. But losing it seems unlikely since the bulkiness
of the tent makes it more suitable to car-side camping than backpacking.
Metal Detecting Sandals
Hammacher and Schlemmer has produced a pair of metal-detecting
sandals. Actually only one of the sandals is a metal detector
(the right one). A nine-volt battery (strapped to your leg) powers
it, and if you step over a metal object you will either see a
light, feel a vibration or hear a beeping sound, depending on
your settings. You get six hours of battery life and they cost
about $60.
Butter Stick
Tired of trying to spread butter evenly on that toast/ How
about a stick of butter (or margarine) that is in a tube like
a glue-stick. Twist the bottom to advance the butter and rub
it on. I saw a photo of this, but there were no details on where
to buy it or who produced it. I suspect there are other applications
for a glue-stick type of device.
Flying Car
A street-legal flying car at last? The Transition (R) by Terrafugia
might be it. They say, "Simply land at the airport, fold
your wings up and drive home" (www.terrafugia.com). It gets
35 mpg on the highway, and flies at a top speed of 105 miles-per-hour.
Of course you will need a pilot's license, but Terrafugia has
a course specifically designed for their car, which they say
will make you legal in 20 hours of flying time.
Bicycle Simulator
The idea of riding a stationary bike with video in front of
you is something I wrote about many years ago. Now Honda has
made such a device - sort of. Theirs is meant to simulate situation
a bicyclist might encounter, in order to train riders for safety
purposes. If all goes well, though, perhaps they will eventually
have a machine you can use to "ride" through famous
neighborhoods of the world.
A Waterless Washing Machine?
That's what British company Xeros says about their new invention.
Look closer and you see that it uses 90% less water traditional
machines. Nylon beads are used as part of the washing process
to reduce the need for water. These beads can apparently be used
for hundreds of washes.
In addition to reporting on new inventions that actually exist,
I also have put together quite a few pages of invention
ideas (that link will take you to the page where they are
all listed). Some might be created by the time you read this,
but otherwise, you can be the first to implement them if you
like.
