Invention Of The Day – Page 45 – Just another break-step productions sites site

#2421: Doublade

Having recently become part of a two-car family, and being reluctant to walk about with a huge set of jangling keys, I find I’m often now carrying around the wrong set.

Today’s invention allows you to carry two such carkeys without having to also carry two grips (or bows).

Instead there would be one grip (yellow), packed with the required electronics and battery to allow opening of either of one’s two vehicles remotely.

There would also be a sliding piece of metal comprising a key blade at each end so that only one of these would be exposed at once (lessening the damage to one’s pockets).

For added security, the double blade could be locked with only half of each poking out, making stealing either car harder.

#2420: PinPrints

I reckon I can touch a flat surface with about three different, reproducable levels of pressure (‘resting on’, ‘positive contact’ and ‘pressing hard’, say).

Touchscreens are usually not directly sensitive to pressure level, but almost all of them should be capable of differentiating between these three conditions (even if only by virtue of their different optical effects).

Today’s invention is a way to identify yourself via a touchscreen.

Your new, ten-digit pin code consists of a pattern of different levels of pressure when in contact simultaneously with a screen. This gives a total number of ~59k different codes (ie >>10^4, as commonly used with keypads).

It might take a bit of practice, but once burned into motor memory, this would be super quick and impossible to shoulder-surf.

#2419: LeftLockers

Today’s invention is lockers which actually lock.

Overhead lockers in an airliner, to be precise.

Every time we hear about some flight encountering turbulence, somebody has been hurt by a giant carry-on case hitting them on the head.

Recently, people in a crash have allegedly paused during emergency exit to collect their bags from above their seat.

Instead, I suggest that all lockers be remotely lockable by a flight attendant.

If the seatbelt sign is on, the locks are all engaged.

Knowing this, people would generally concentrate on escape, rather than their (replaceable) stuff.

#2418: Tandemini

Today’s invention is a tandem bicycle capable I reckon of setting (unfaired) speed records.

The rear rider sits on an extension of the normal frame and uses an extra set of pedals which drive the rear wheel through an additional gearset.

The design benefits from about twice the power and much less than twice the resistance (rolling, air drag).

Any record attempts might require solid tyres.

#2417: Spiraluggage

Today’s invention is a suitcase on wheels which packs clothing more tightly than normal, yet with fewer creases.

Once the top is opened, the handle on this case can be pulled upwards, bringing with it several coathangers.

Items of clothing, eg suits, can be hung on each hanger and then a thumbwheel twisted to pull the clothes down into a snailshell compartment, of which there are several.

This rolls the clothes up tightly, minimising their volume but without crumpling them.

#2416: ShooTrojan

Huge handguns tend to be massively more powerful than they need be, hard to hold up and because of their big cartridges, very difficult to control with any accuracy.

They do have the advantage that any assailant, faced with a small cannon, will tend to be more intimidated than if a tiny Derringer appears.

Today’s invention offers a way for people who want to defend their property or family to appear more threatening and still have some chance of staying on-target.

This takes the form of a plastic model of a large-calibre pistol which is very convincingly textured and painted to resemble a huge handgun.

This acts as a case into which a small, controllable gun can be fitted.

When under attack, a gun owner can point a lightweight but scary pistol they are confident about handling effectively.

#2415: Viewire

Today’s invention is an electric lawnmower which can’t cut its own cable.

The cable would be have a number of small sequins embedded in its surface.

A flashgun and camera (red), mounted inside the mower, would fire every half-second or so, powered by the cable itself. This would be set behind a small window which would be wiped continuously by a brush (blue) on the rear face of the blade.

If the camera detected any spots of bright reflection (from the sequins), the power to the blades would be cut off until the cable could be safely moved to one side.

#2414: DataMaze

A conventional optical disk always spins in one direction, whilst the laser read head moves radially across its surface -following the spiral path on which the recorded micro-depressions have been laid.

This movement is essentially the same for all disks.

Today’s invention is a way to make piracy of digital content much more difficult (albeit with a small increase in production time/cost).

My DVD player would come with the facility to generate a unique, 2-D read head motion program embedded securely within it -a new one for every disk. The spinning would continue as normal.

My machine is networked to the manufacturer and sends them a code from which they derive the required read pattern and use that to imprint my movie’s bits (together with an identifier which allows my machine to use the right internal movement pattern when reading it).

I can thus buy a DVD online which will be printed with exactly the same bit stream as yours…except that my bits will be laid out in a pattern which only my machine can read.

I can make you a copy of my disk, but it won’t play in your machine.

#2413: HelterShelter

I’m told that fire appliance ladders can’t reach higher than the sixth floor of a burning building.

For people caught in a skyscraper or towerblock at higher altitudes than this, today’s invention could be a lifesaver.

The ladder is fitted, whilst at ground level, with a giant steel loop supporting a ‘stocking’ made of stretchable fabric.

People can jump into this, as they would a conventional ‘trampoline’ supported by firefighters. The difference is that they have less distance over which to build up speed and when hitting the stocking surface, the deceleration is much more gradual.

Many people can jump into this device at once without much danger of hitting each other. Each of them then slides down a narrow central tube of the same material, at an approximately constant speed, to emerge safely at ground level.

#2412: ChewHues

The colour and weight of the cutlery you use affects the way your food tastes.

This could be used to help people trying to lose weight or restaurateurs attempting to make their meals more appealing (via lightweight utensils in shades that match the food itself).

Today’s invention is therefore cutlery each item of which is a hollow transparent shell with a secure stopper.

These can be filled, prior to serving a dish, with a fluid which varies in density (think syrup or water vs whipped cream) as well as colour (using food dye -or even elements of the meal itself).

After use, the utensils can be opened, cleaned and reused.