Much as I dislike the use of firearms (and that fact the we all seem to rely on them to keep some very bad guys at bay) -still I’m fascinated by their technology.

Today’s invention is a magazine which slots into a machine gun at an angle so that it forms a symmetrical bipod with a normal leg on the other side (I actually dreamed this a couple of nights ago).

Given the effort applied to the issue of reducing the weight carried by soldiers, this would provide a small advantage in only having to cart around half a bipod.

Wind turbine blades, its seems, currently break more frequently, and less predictably, than anyone is comfortable with (certain windfarms are now collecting piles of broken blades for which there is no repair/recycling process).

According to a back of the envelope calculation, based on typical geometry, if a fragment of the tip of a blade comes off it can travel up to 2 turbine diameters in one direction and up to 15 diameters (2 football pitch lengths) in the opposite direction.

This represents a potential threat to anything which lies to one side of a turbine (ie particularly to the left of a counterclockwise blade when viewed from the front).

Today’s invention is a way to lay out a wind farm so that any boundaries are no closer to the machines than two diameters (+safety margin), even when variations in wind direction are accounted for. It also requires that the 12 o’clock direction of blade rotation is always away from the local border.

Although this may increase the damage to more central turbines, it lessens the possibility that vehicles, people or buildings on the periphery will suffer costly impacts.

I happen to have a small driveway which is covered in stones. These provide an effective alert that someone is approaching the front door (as well as ending up on the lawn and inside the house).

For those wealthy enough to have block paving (and therefore presumably with something worth stealing) there are numerous magnetic, infra-red and laser beam security devices, not to mention the traditional, roll-over surface pressure detector.

Today’s invention seems like an obvious improvement in that it consists of a wired network of pressure sensors each mounted beneath a paving block. It might be possible to have blocks each with a built-in pressure sensor. Only a subset, suitably arrayed, would need these.

As the blocks are very slightly displaced vertically when walked or driven over, so they can issue an alarm in the home or to one’s mobile -without the knowledge of a visitor.

A sufficient number of sensors would be capable of determining whether a group of people had arrived or a vehicle (and whether it left more laden than it entered).

I’ll admit to having a softspot for sidecars. They are definitively eccentric.

Today’s invention is a way to store one’s three-wheel steed safely in an urban environment.

A tough, toolshed-like box fits over the motorcycle, when parked against a wall. The box is secured to the wall and when released, it rotates to reveal a sidecar seat with minimally exposed third wheel.

This is placed, for stability, beneath an arch between the occupant’s legs and driven via a chain from the bike’s back wheel.

Allowing limited, sprung, rotation between shed base and bike when in transit might actually allow a reasonably smooth ride. A small pulley arrangement might help the less brawny open and close the system.

Many people who engage in sports find it hard to keep track of the way their feet make contact with the ground. If you are a distance runner, this actually matters: heel striking, even with a 2cm foam cushion on your shoes, can result in all sorts of joint damage over the long term. A small change in cadence/grip can have huge effects on results for a sprinter.

Today’s invention is a set of low-height studs embedded in the soles of trail running shoes. These are good for grip in themselves but each stud has a piezoelectric crystal inside which is deformed by the impacts of running (kids shoes sometimes embody a crude version by which a small light illuminates on landing).

As the foot hits the ground, each stud translates the voltage generated in its crystal to an audible beep at a unique frequency. Studs emitting the same frequency are placed in symmetric positions on left and right soles.

During running, a sound pattern occurs which tells the runner whether they are running too much on heels or toes and, more importantly, whether the left foot impact pattern matches that of the right foot.

I’m someone who eats so quickly my meals sometimes disappear before I have much chance to savor them.

Today’s invention is for people who eat too fast and therefore often cram in more than is healthy for them.

It consists of a transparent disc which clips to the top of any standard sized bowl or plate. Arms extend from the disc under the plate and are locked in position, covering the freshly-cooked meal beneath.

The disc has a central section which rotates (driven by a clockwork mechanism) and which has an octant-sized aperture -allowing a portion of the meal to be eaten through this.

The octant slowly rotates around the plate, so that eating can occur at a restricted pace. When the full 360 degrees have been sequentially cleared, the clockwork releases the clips, freeing the plate for the dishwasher.

I live in a house filled with heavy furniture and large plant pots. The carpet, such as it is, takes a hammering from all this weight, leaving unsightly, flattened patches which tend to fade noticeably less.

Today’s invention is a beermat-sized pad made of translucent plastic. From one side, a matrix of spines points downwards, whilst the top surface remains flat (a bit like a very stiff hairbrush).

The spines are three cm or so in length and act as an inverted bed of nails, supporting the heavy objects, without becoming themselves distorted and without flattening the carpet fibres.

Light can penetrate to the carpet pretty effectively and the pads can be linked at the edges in order to spread any loads more widely, if required.