Invention ideas

[Eisen]

Ever come up with something which you thought would be life-changing for people if it were made reality? Post random things here, and we can discuss them and whatnot and think of probability of it working out or not.

I've thought of ideas about using microchips implanted in human brains which can control a mechanical limbs using signals they emit.

I heard about the prospect of the microchips which have been proven to give control to beings (such as monkeys) of things that they are not even touching, so I figured once this technology becomes more developed, it could work as the human connection between brain and artificial limbs.

[Steve]

I've come up with a few inventions myself for various things... One is a huge improvement over the Virtusphere.

The crown jewel of them all is something that can harness centrifugal forces to create thrust in the direction it is pointed. I still need to test it with something better than a Lego model, but that Lego model showed a little potential.

I also designed a few things for cars, and a non-propeller-based way to turn ocean waves into energy.

If I ever get the money to patent any of these, I'll be sure to post it here (the centrifugal thruster will get a video for sure). Until then, it's fair to doubt (even I doubt a few of them will work occasionally).

[Eisen]

Centrifugal thruster sounds interesting. Although I thought the word was "centripital"

Anyways, I just remembered something else. It's not very practical, but it'd be really useful. This is the idea of having light-emitting contacts. Of course, you'd have to find some way to fit something to emit a light source into a very small space as well as find a way to prevent the wearers from becoming blinded.

[Steve]

They are already testing out contact lenses with a HUD type of thing in them for military purposes (of course)... I'm sure a light wouldn't be too far off, but if someone had those on and had their eyes shut... Their eyelids would light up red.

[Eisen]

Which is why it's so cool.

[Mac]

Ever come up with something which you thought would be life-changing for people if it were made reality?

You know how a toaster toasts bread? It toasts it perfectly depending on what setting you set it to. Well, I think there should be a toaster that toasts marshmallows. I love toasted marshmallows, but I can never really toast them that well using a stovetop and my hand gets too hot when I use a fire.

[Steve]

The trick with that would be getting someone to buy something that only toast marshmallows. Maybe if it could do other stuff... But then you have to figure out what that "other stuff" would be.

[Steve]

I actually had a dream about something recently... It was a diesel generator that had the added kick of a gunpowder blast to start the compression-ignition.

In the dream, it was apparently so powerful they only had to run it a few seconds to get a few hours-worth of power for a factory of some sort, but the exhaust was so thick and poisonous, people nearby suffocated in a few seconds.

I'm not sure if it would work in reality, but oddly enough, it makes some sense.

[Mac]

I actually had a dream about something recently... It was a diesel generator that had the added kick of a gunpowder blast to start the compression-ignition.

In the dream, it was apparently so powerful they only had to run it a few seconds to get a few hours-worth of power for a factory of some sort, but the exhaust was so thick and poisonous, people nearby suffocated in a few seconds.

I'm not sure if it would work in reality, but oddly enough, it makes some sense.

On Mythbusters they had an episode where they tested this. As I recall, all it did was damage the engine.

[Steve]

Wasn't that just gunpowder? I thought I saw that one.

[Mac]

I don't know how engines work that well, but it seems like burning gunpowder inside an engine would leave too much residue behind. Even in the cleanest burning reaction, the smoke is still made up of carbon particles (I think) that will collect on any surface and solidify.

Alternatively, graphite is one of the best lubricants, particularly used in metal against metal applications. The smoke itself could lubricate the engine. It also doesn't have the draw back of decomposing at higher temperatures or pressures.

[Steve]

I don't know how engines work that well, but it seems like burning gunpowder inside an engine would leave too much residue behind. Even in the cleanest burning reaction, the smoke is still made up of carbon particles (I think) that will collect on any surface and solidify.

That was probably what made all that smoke. My dream provided me with some sort of understanding about the combustion process; the diesel was injected first, and then there was a wait before the gunpowder went in. This was so it wouldn't turn into muddy clumps before it combusted.

Alternatively, graphite is one of the best lubricants, particularly used in metal against metal applications. The smoke itself could lubricate the engine. It also doesn't have the draw back of decomposing at higher temperatures or pressures.

But graphite isn't explosive, which was why gunpowder was used in the first place, according to the dream I had, at least.

[Mac]

Alternatively, graphite is one of the best lubricants, particularly used in metal against metal applications. The smoke itself could lubricate the engine. It also doesn't have the draw back of decomposing at higher temperatures or pressures.

But graphite isn't explosive, which was why gunpowder was used in the first place, according to the dream I had, at least.

I mean if the carbon residue was actually graphite and the smoke would lubricate the engine.

[Sawtooth]

I had an idea a while back for an invention, but it's much more of a half-assed Ron Popeil novelty-type invention than anything of real value to the world. I was eating a wrap sandwich that was prepared somewhat shoddily one day, and the fillings kept leaking out of the back of the sandwich every time I tried to take a bits, when I got to thinking: Wouldn't it be nice if there was a sort of edible glue that could be used to fix that problem?

My idea is for a kind of tasteless edible glue that's specifically used on food. It keeps the insides of sandwiches and tacos from spilling out, and basically can attach foods to one another for....I dunno...people who want that sort of thing.

[Steve]

I know the glue they use on ice cream cones to get the paper to stick to it is edible, but it's not... Appetizing.

There are a few things that naturally get used as food glue (I think corn syrup is in some applications), but I can see that sandwich situation could be difficult. I think you could solve it without glue, though. Most sandwich bread sticks together when you press it together; do that around the sides of it and it should hold together.

[Mac]

Edible glue... maybe it'd be better to make the structure of the sandwich or wrap interlocking. The bread or tortilla is the most frictive thing in the whole eating device.

[WhereThePoopIs]

Someone needs to invent a cool way to have your cell phone strapped to your wrist like a communicator device from old sci-fi movies.