Category:
Inventions
Inventions
Staying awake at the wheel
Over the years, inventors have dreamed up a variety of ways to keep drivers awake while driving.In 1936, Carl Brown got a patent on a chin-operated alarm device. If a driver started to nod off, and his head fell forward, this would depress a trigger, setting off an electric bell that would wake him up. (Patent No. 2,066,092)
In 1940, Raymond Young had the idea that whenever a driver was feeling drowsy he could press a button on the steering wheel and this would squirt an aromatic spray in his face, waking him up. (Patent No. 2,199,060)
And just last month, Hyundai was granted a patent for a system that shoots ultrasonic beams at a driver's eyes when it senses he's falling asleep. (Patent No. 11007932)
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jun 14, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Inventions, Patents, Sleep and Dreams, Cars
The Airphibian
Flying cars just had a recent moment in THE NEW YORK TIMES. But there have been many predecessors.We are continuing our streak from yesterday's Amphicar: bi-modal transport!
The Wikipedia page.
Posted By: Paul - Mon Jun 14, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Inventions, Kludges, Hacks and Duct-tape Repairs, Air Travel and Airlines, 1940s, Cars
The 1964 Amphicar
We've featured various amphibious vehicles on WU before. But my research seems to indicate we have not highlighted the most famous, seen in this video. Please note that inventor Hans Trippel was working on this concept thirty years previously, as seen in the clipping.
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Sun Jun 13, 2021 -
Comments (4)
Category: Inventions, Oceans and Maritime Pursuits, 1930s, 1960s, Cars
The Safety Smoker
The "safety smoker," invented by Glen R. Foote of Cincinnati, promised to allow people to safely smoke "in places where the danger from flying or falling sparks is likely to start a conflagration or cause an explosion."Perfect for anyone hankering for a smoke in an oil refinery.
San Francisco Examiner - Jan 1, 1933
Posted By: Alex - Mon Jun 07, 2021 -
Comments (6)
Category: Inventions, Smoking and Tobacco, 1930s
Alternate Accelerator
Is one's knee action as forceful, subtle and easy to control as foot action?
Source.
Posted By: Paul - Thu Jun 03, 2021 -
Comments (5)
Category: Death, Inventions, 1930s, Cars
Urine-Collecting Shoe
Problem: you're out in public and really need to go to the bathroom, but there are no toilets around.Solution: the urine-collecting shoe, patented by Ran Rahimzada in 2008.
As described in his patent:
An embarrassing situation may arise, when people sometimes need to urinate and there may not be toilets readily available, for example when a person is driving a car on a highway, while touring a city with not public toilets readily accessible, while traveling in a bus, etc...
According to the present invention, a new shoe includes a container to store a person's urine. The person may use a standard catheter, which is connected to the container in the shoe.
This is an unobtrusive device, there is no bag attached to one's foot, etc. The device may be used discreetly, without attracting undue attention.
According to the present invention, a new shoe includes a container to store a person's urine. The person may use a standard catheter, which is connected to the container in the shoe.
This is an unobtrusive device, there is no bag attached to one's foot, etc. The device may be used discreetly, without attracting undue attention.
Posted By: Alex - Sun May 30, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Inventions, Patents, Body Fluids, Shoes
Field Umbrella
Patent No. 2,320,848 was granted to Hollie Lee Byars of Parrish, Alabama for an umbrella designed to protect people stooped over. She imagined it would be useful for field workers. Although anyone who spent a lot of time hunched over could benefit.There have been times when I've been weeding my yard that I could have used something like this.
Posted By: Alex - Fri May 21, 2021 -
Comments (3)
Category: Inventions, Patents, 1940s, Weather
Seleno, the Electric Dog
Read the amazing story of cyber-pup here!ADDENDUM: the link is down as of mid-day May 20, but since the site is a longstanding page, I assume the outage is temporary and am leaving the link in place.
Posted By: Paul - Thu May 20, 2021 -
Comments (1)
Category: Inventions, Robots, 1910s
The Inventions of Russell Oakes
An article here.
Posted By: Paul - Mon May 17, 2021 -
Comments (0)
Category: Humor, Inventions, Rube Goldberg Devices, 1940s
Animating Plants
Many people talk to their plants, but the plants don't talk back. However, a new invention allows the plants not to talk back, but at least to communicate, by moving. For instance, you could ask a plant if it needed to be watered, and the plant would shake up and down to indicate 'yes'.From the patent granted to Richard J. Maddocks et al:
The present invention can provide a method and a system for the human interaction with plants. The present invention can also provide a method and a mechanism to animate by physically moving the plant in response to human voice or touch input. Additionally, the present invention can provide a commercially practicable method for humans or machines to assign personalities that will govern the plant's behavior.
The invention can provide an opportunity for retailers, distributors or gift givers to customize the behavior and content of the plant's behavior.
The present invention can provide a technique for the plant through its behavior to communicate its physiological needs for irrigation, light, fertilizer etc.
The invention can provide an opportunity for retailers, distributors or gift givers to customize the behavior and content of the plant's behavior.
The present invention can provide a technique for the plant through its behavior to communicate its physiological needs for irrigation, light, fertilizer etc.
Posted By: Alex - Sun May 09, 2021 -
Comments (2)
Category: Communications, Inventions, Patents, Nature, Technology
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| Alex Boese Alex is the creator and curator of the Museum of Hoaxes. He's also the author of various weird, non-fiction, science-themed books such as Elephants on Acid and Psychedelic Apes. Paul Di Filippo Paul has been paid to put weird ideas into fictional form for over thirty years, in his career as a noted science fiction writer. He has recently begun blogging on many curious topics with three fellow writers at The Inferior 4+1. Contact Us |