Home Archive by category "Feasible inventions" (Page 35)

Category: Feasible inventions

#1971: SpeedShare

Today’s invention is a way to enhance the gamification of various online activities.

Imagine a group of people whose machines are connected to the Internet via a single router.

This device has the ability to apportion to each of these players a fraction of the available bandwidth -in real-time.

The system could be made to react to the speeds with which the individuals perform some set task…the fastest people ‘win’ some extra bandwidth. Or, it could be used to help support the performance of those who were slow when undertaking some particular type of work.

Access to network speed in multi-user activities could in itself fulfil the role of a reward for achieving certain goals within a game or work-related setting.

#1968: BreechBreather

Tanks are always in need of somewhere to hide from eg predatory warplanes.

Today’s invention allows them to lurk underwater, without much additional kit to cart about.

A tank would drive into a body of water, and quickly switch off its engine. The crew would then open the breech of its main gun and use that as a way to get air from the surface -as well as being able to see above water using two wirrors attached to the muzzle and breech block.

Armoured vehicles could thus wait, undetected, underwater for significant periods of time.

#1967: Equalifter

I watched a forklift truck this morning, as it moved long timber spars about in a car park.

The driver had to take great care to ensure that these loads were balanced (ie so that the length sticking out to the right was the same as that to the left).

Even doing this visually with a geometrically simple load was clearly a challenge.

Today’s invention is therefore a pair of strain gauges fitted to the arms of a forklift truck.

These would be intrerfaced to a processor so that if one prong were strained significantly more than another, the driver would have to reposition his vehicle or perhaps lift using straps instead.

#1964: TextTeller

Teller machines are everywhere…and they could be offering other services without a great deal of alteration.

Today’s invention is to fit each of these machines with an internal cellphone so that it would be possible to insert one’s bank card and use this to pay for a single text message (after entering your normal PIN).

If your phone had run out of power or been lost, this service could bail you out by providing a short, predefined list of names of your friends and family on the screen.

You could select the name(s) you want to contact and one of a number of standard messages eg “I’m at -location of this atm- please collect me.”

This would cause no additional delays in terms of queueing and might act as an extra safety measure for those who have become over-reliant on their mobile technology.

#1961: Brrrush

Today’s invention is a toy car which contains an old-fashioned carpet sweeper mechanism.

As the vehicle is rubbed across the floor, so the rotating brushes sweep the usual debris, which playing children create, inside.

Each car could be weighed at the end of a week as a measure of its ‘mileage’ and a prize awarded according to the cleaning it had accomplished.

#1954: StoreDoor

Today’s invention is inspired by a question in New Scientist (you will probably need a subscription to read this).

It seems that reams of paper don’t burn primarily because the paper is treated with “rutile titanium dioxide, one of the most fire-resistant substances known”.

So imagine fire doors which are made hollow, but with postal slots in their surfaces. This would allow spare paper to be stored, as blocks, conveniently until needed.

It would also allow paper waiting to be shredded to be kept in a secure place, inside firedoors, whilst actually doing something useful.

#1953: LintTop

Today’s invention is a crumb tray for laptops (shown in blue).

All the crud which normally accumulates on such machines (especially the one I use when eating lunch) can fall between the keys.

This allows a tray to catch all this stuff -then to be slid out sideways and emptied, just as in a toaster.

#1949: LeveRelease

Non-professional drivers frequently motor along with their hand resting on the gear lever.

This is considered poor practice, since in an emergency situation, both hands should really be on the wheel.

Today’s invention is therefore a gear lever knob which senses the presence of a hand on it and if it has rested there for more than a second or two (especially without changing gear) it will buzz and/or emit a beeping tone.

#1948: ShowShelf

Today’s invention is a novel display mode for one’s e-reader.

Placed on its side on a shelf, the device would show the spines of the real books, digital contents of which were stored within it.

This display would periodically scroll, if you have many electronic titles on board, in order to show off what a well-read person you are.