Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with invention

If it does exist, I imagine the school crest is something like duct tape, a paper clip and a mullet

rileyray3000 — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 08:09:30 -0800

Is there a REAL MacGyver School in the world? Is there the equivalent of a MacGyver School anywhere in the world? Say tomorrow I wanted to learn, for lack of a better term, “Improvisational Engineering”…where would I go? Is there a real class anywhere out there or a major or even a specific school that teaches these things? Even if it’s an informal collective of engineers that occasionally takes apprentices, that’s fine.

Book about a lab rat who sings and has a fro?

phunniemee — Mon, 07 Dec 2009 16:23:20 -0800

What is this book? For kids, about a scientist's assistant who breaks into the lab safe one night and finds potions that he feeds to the lab rat. Hilarity and mayhem ensues. It's a children's book, thin paperback, roughly 8.5"x11". Really fun illustrations...on the inside cover there were blueprints of funny Rube Goldberg-type inventions.

The story was (I think) about a lab assistant left to watch the experiments all night when the scientist goes home. He breaks into the scientist's safe and finds mysterious potions that he decides to test on the lab rat before taking himself. One of them makes the rat grow human-sized, another makes the rat grow a big, red 'fro, another gives the rat a beautiful singing voice, etc. Thinking they're safe, the assistant takes them but they all backfire; he's shrunk to rat-size and the rat puts him in a cage and then goes out to party. Or something.

Any idea what this book could be? It would have come out sometime in the 90s. I thought it would be more easily googlable, but I have failed.

What does the Venn intersection of journalists and inventors look like?

runkelfinker — Sun, 15 Nov 2009 13:55:48 -0800

I've been following the development of the CrunchPad with some interest. It's made me wonder, are there any famous examples in history of journalists also being successful inventors/innovators?

WANT TO PRODUCE A FRAGRANCE: HOW?

defmute — Sat, 05 Sep 2009 21:56:31 -0800

I want to sell a cologne. How do I do that? I have a brilliant idea for a new fragrance. Now what? Can I patent a fragrance before it goes into production?

How do I protect a card game invention?

velvetsmog — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:51:34 -0800

I have invented a card game and would like to protect it before I start large-scale game testing. I can't find useful information about the laws surrounding protecting this kind of intellectual property. First, what kind of protections should I be seeking for a card game? Second, any recommendations on reputable, ethical lawyers in Seattle who can help me protect my game?

Step 4: Profit!

shiu mai baby — Tue, 09 Jun 2009 06:22:33 -0800

I have a product idea for a regional restaurant franchise that I think would do really well. How do I go about making my dream of untold wealth a reality? In all seriousness, I know that, even if everything were to line up perfectly, it wouldn't be untold wealth (maybe a couple of thousand if I'm lucky), but even before I get to that spot, I need some help. Here's the deal (and obviously, I will be as specific as I can while still protecting my precious kernel of an idea):

There's a popular food franchise in this region that sells a product of which I am a fan. I have a really cool idea that would use one of their most popular products, combine it with a common food item, and make a new, even more delicious product. I have made the enhanced product at home, it is terrific; I have served it at parties and people are stunned that the franchise doesn't sell it like this; in short, I feel confident that it would sell really, really well, especially since the enhancement uses a food item that is steadily gaining a ton of popularity in this area. It wouldn't take a major investment from the franchise owners to obtain the equipment to make this product, and it dovetails nicely with the overall product line of the company.

The big problem, though, is I haven't a clue what's involved inmaking this happen. Do I just look up the corporate address, send a letter saying, "Hi Company X, I have a great idea that will bring your franchises more revenue, call me to discuss?" If I do end up lucking into a meeting or presentation with the product development team, how do I protect my idea from being taken without compensation? How do I possibly determine what would be a reasonable compensation if the planets align and Company X decides that my idea is the best thing they've heard in forever? Is this something that one should retain a lawyer for, even if the compensation is only (potentially) a couple of grand?

I have a million more questions, of course, but mainly I'm just looking for a general idea of how these things go, and what early steps I can take to protect myself. YANML, I know; just a basic roadmap of where I should go from here would be very much appreciated.

how to manufacture 1000+ units of new, custom fabric based product?

nolnar — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 05:19:44 -0800

I've made a new fabric product that I hope would sell 5000+ units. For viable efficiency I need to buy manufacturing of the product or its parts. I don't want to reveal my product idea, but let's use a SLR camera bag made in sturdy fabric as an example. My product has similar materials, size and complexity. How do I go from there? background: I lack previous experience from buying manufacturing of a product. (I also don't have business experience but I'll focus on that topic later so leave that for now)

questions:
(1) Are there companies with online services that take blueprints/prototypes/CAD-designs of a fabric camera bag type of product as input and output a number of units (100, 1000 ...) of either the completed product or parts for me to assemble?

(2) Are there for fabric camera bag type of product similar services to to print-on-demand book publishing or what http://www.cafepress.com/ et al offer? That is, I input the design and the company hosts my product page, handles the customers payments and manufactures and sends out the product. I get a portion of the money from each sale.

(3) Are there detailed product catalogs with generic standard parts to buy in bulk for this type of product? Something similar to the extremely detailed catalogs of electronic and mechanical components available from many companies. So for a fabric camera bag type of product there would be standard should straps, side pockets, plastic clip-on joints and so on in various shapes, sizes, colors and materials.

Note: I know that there are various craft communities/websites where custom fabric products can be made on demand from any design by hobbyist crafters, as discussed in this thread http://ask.metafilter.com/111371/How-can-I-design-and-make-a-custom-camera-bag . But that is not viable for the thousands of units in my example.

Does anyone remember a spherical cubicle?

tzikeh — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 20:28:30 -0800

I saw a website or read an article about an ergonomic "cubicle" that was actually a very large, balanced sphere. The person would lie down inside the sphere in a perfectly supporting "chair" (somewhat like a first-class recliner), facing upwards; the keyboard was at lap level, and the monitor hung from the top of the sphere. Now I can't find it. Help?

What would happen if I used a portable air conditioner in my car?

Toto_tot — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 08:23:51 -0800

Is this possible? Or just dumb? What would happen if we used one of those new, small, portable air-conditioners in a car on a temporary basis? We are from Canada heading through the Nevada desert in a small car and I am seriously wondering if it is possible to use one of those new portable air conditioners to keep us cool. We could run it off of the cigarette lighter and strap it into the back seat.
I have looked into those boat and trailer types that run a fan over ice and they get terrible reviews.
I don't have any experience with AC - we don't have it in our home either. (When it gets hot in the summer we suffer/cope and sleep in the basement)- so I don't know how it works. They seem to have to vent outside for some reason... I can see that...

What do you think?

Compensation package for an inventor working for a non-profit

Cardboardbox — Thu, 10 Apr 2008 10:38:02 -0800

I'm an engineer/inventor who is in salary negotiations with a non-profit and I hold the patent for a mission critical technology. I have some questions about how to secure the best offer. I am dealing with some rather unconventional compensation negotiations. Here is the story:

I am working with a group of folks at a non-profit that, according to the business plan, will be able to produce its own capital. The revenue stream for this organization is generated by multiple installations of an engineering technology that I have patented, developed, and have extensive, unique experience implementing on a small scale. The revenue is directly related to the number of installations. The proceeds will then be used to fund other, less profitable projects thus the non profit status.

The patented technology is the only revenue stream for this venture. however, the patent itself is only enforcible in the US, so they don't really need to license it from me. At the same time, the technology that is needed for this project is far enough from the one in the patent that they can't just get rid of me and deploy the technology. It will require at least another year of development under my supervision before it is ready. Because I am so familiar with the technology it would likely take someone else quite a bit longer than that.

My job in this venture will be to direct R&D to improve the technology to the point that it can be deployed on the proposed scale (hundreds). My responsibility will be to continue the R&D, and develop the construction management and maintenance operations. Essentially everything except for the finances, legal and regulatory matters.

I am now engaged in compensation negotiations and am looking for ways to present my case in a logical fashion that relies on existing precedents.

About the work

-The job will require me to spend more than half the year living in a decidedly third world country.

-This will be an incredibly high stress job due to the headaches that come with working in the third world and with developing a new technology.

-External factors are forcing us to do this in an accelerated fashion. The milestones are very ambitious and they border on unrealistic. Trying to meet them is going to be a major struggle.

-This single project should have annual proceeds on the order of a few million for a period of 10 years.

-The job will have me managing a work force of a few hundred people

About me
-In the context of these negotiations, I consider myself an inventor, in addition to being an engineer. I do have a BS and MS in the field. Beyond the patent, I have received a couple of national awards for my inventions including the one in question.

-I have 5 years of experience working in the country where the project will take place. Essentially doing the same work on a smaller scale

-After doing this job for about 3 years, the protocols should be advanced enough that they can be managed by someone less qualified than myself. These protocols can be used to duplicate the project elsewhere without my assistance. Ideally, I would work this job for 3 years and be done.

-Due to my experience, I would be very hard to replace. Any suitable replacement would require quite a bit of training.

-At present, this venture has little money and I have been working for them for free with the understanding that I would be paid in the future for that time. There will likely not be any money for at least another few months. If the business doesn't pan out, I stand to loose the value of that time.

-I am not a philanthropist, however, many of the people I'm negotiating with are. This may complicate things.

My questions
1. As I understand, people at nonprofits typically get paid less than their counterparts in other sectors for the same job. Is this because nonprofits usually rely on donations, and donors prefer to see relatively low employee salaries? Am I correct in reasoning that this shouldn't apply in my case, since the org will fund itself through it's business activities?

2. My work will play a crucial role in making the org hundreds of millions of dollars if all goes well and they replicate the project. I think it is reasonable that they give me some percentage of the gross revenue generated by the first project. Is this reasonable? Does anyone have any idea of what this percentage should be?

I know this is a somewhat unconventional situation, but if someone has any numbers from a related situation, I'd love to hear them. Any info on what kinds of percentages inventors get when they help start a for-profit company using venture capital would be helpful. I realize that this is not a question that has an easy answer, I'm just looking for some data points so I can try to triangulate.

3. I will have to live and work on the other side of the planet, in a developing nation, and when I'm there, the work will pretty much be non-stop. I am trying to negotiate a schedule that is similar to that of someone who works on an offshore oil rig. IE a a few weeks at sea, a few weeks off. Does any one have ideas on how to go about drawing an equivalence between normal working schedules/salaries and "oil-rig" schedules/salaries?

Maybe something like "a person with X qualifications could be employed on an oil rig for Y or in a US office for Z"? (It doesn't have to be an off shore oil-rig, that was just the first thing that popped into my head)

Somewhat related, I've heard hearsay that the engineers who work for companies like Haliburton in places like Iraq make pretty large salaries (250k) due to the location and associated risks. Is there any truth to this?

4. Based on what I've said, what would you consider to be appropriate compensation for this work?

5. Any ideas on how to state my case in my counter offer? I'm planning on writing a 3-5 page document that explains my reasoning as to why I believe my counter offer is fair. I'd like to populate this document with some numbers and citations.

Any other relevant advice would be greatly appreciated.

Sorry for the length, and thanks in advance for your help!

How do I get a prototype of an invention made and conduct market research?

jesirose — Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:46:41 -0800

How do I get a prototype of an invention made and conduct market research? I have an idea for a new type of sewing machine of sorts. I have drawn up schematics of how it would work mechanically, but I have no idea where to start on actually building it. How would I find someone to help with this part? Would they be called an engineer, or is that the person who designs machines?

I also need to find out if this machine would actually be worth anything. I have thought about taking an ad in a related magazine and offering compensation for completing a survey (such as supplies for sewing) but I am not sure if that is appropriate? I did some research online and as far as I can tell, nothing like this already exists, not for sale online anyway.

Obviously I don't want to just give this idea to one of those companies you see on 2:00 am infomercials where they steal it and never give you a dime. If I can't find someone to help me build it, how would I find a reputable company to sell the idea to?

"Look Dave, I can see you're really upset about this."

onlyconnect — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 13:39:15 -0800

How difficult would it be to either build a GPS with a little bit of a personality, who is disappointed with you when you make wrong turns, or to mod existing GPS units to have a hint of a personality? I've been thinking about this for a while and I'm convinced that lots of people, especially young urban hipsters, would pay an extra $100 to $200 if their GPS unit would express more disappointment or distress after wrong turns or other mild disasters. I already sort of imagine that ours does this when it says "recalculating" after a few wrong turns, even though I know it's not really, and I really think I would be delighted if my GPS unit would occasionally take me to task for having no discernable sense of direction. I am imagining something a little like the depressed Marvin the android in The Hitchhiker's Guide series, or HAL in 2001 (though obviously without the actual capability of taking over and killing everyone), or maybe even like GLaDOS in Portal. Or maybe different people would want different personalities (my preferences may be influenced by leftover Catholic guilt), the point is that the GPS unit would actually react in some way to the turns you made or the way you were driving.

In any case, the point is, how hard would it be to sort of mesh GPS technology with something like videogame technology where your different decisions cause varying reactions from a computer that could, in some sense, be thought of as a "personality"? Could it be done, how expensive would it be to do (and mass produce), would a GPS unit that did this necessarily be MUCH less portable than what's available now, and can you see any problems that would make such a device necessarily unpractical or unuseable? And would you need to develop a whole separate device altogether, or might it be possible to just develop a sort of personality microchip that could be inserted into different existing GPS units (Garmin, Tom Tom, etc)? And maybe also, if you currently have a regular GPS unit, would you pay more for a GPS with a little personality?

Thanks in advance!

High Risk Patent

JakeLL — Tue, 16 Oct 2007 12:29:30 -0800

I had an idea that, if patentable, would be worth quite a bit. However the chance of it being patentable is low (about 10-20%) and wouldn't be marketable by itself and would most likely require sale to a computer manufacturer. Are there any businesses that handle these kinds of ideas for a % of ownership in the potential patent? I'm looking to not pay anything up front, but am willing to lose a fairly high percentage of ownership over my idea. Does anything exist?

If this is patentable, assume that it would clearly be worth, at the bare minimum, $5 million, but probably much more. (More on top of that if the patent was intentionally trolled, which I would personally like to avoid.)

Being local to Austin, TX would be preference, but I realize it's questionable that anything exists.

Has anyone ever heard of this show or guy?

Little — Sun, 05 Aug 2007 21:41:22 -0800

I am considering taking my invention (patent pending) to a show called "The big idea with Donny Deutsch" which also has a show on television in the US on CNBC. Has anyone ever heard of this show or Donny Deutsch? The show is holding a road show in San Francisco for inventors in October and I would like to know if anyone has any feed back regarding this company.

How do I get public exposure for my invention?

Little — Mon, 23 Jul 2007 21:33:11 -0800

Does anyone have any suggestions/ideas on how to get my patent pending invention known to the public besides my website? This invention is for home improvement/decorating, no other product is available to the public that even comes close to what I have and it resolves a problem that all most every home uses for a window treatment. I am "financially challenged" so money is a huge issue. I welcome all replies!

How do I materialize an idea for a product?

h2 — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 21:27:35 -0800

I have an idea for an improvement on a current product. How do I materialize it? The idea is a simple modification on a simple product. This change will allow the product to be used for another purpose. What steps do I take for patents, producing, and selling the product?

You will never succeed in life... ?

JokingClown — Thu, 02 Nov 2006 13:50:37 -0800

I have found that when you are motivated to something unusual or difficult people dont hesitate to tell you how flawed your dream is, and why you will never and cannot physically succeed. Sometimes, these thoughts creep into my head, which I would like to combat, thus my question. I need quotes or excerpts about people who claimed someone famous in history would never succeed, who ended up making themselves look rather foolish when that person did infact succeed. (examples inside) I am planning on making a collage of sorts with all of these examples, and hanging them in my wall so i remember I make the choice whether I succeed, not short sighted folks who have nothing better to do that put down other peoples dreams.

Examples:

- A professor claimed that no human would ever make a flying machine, no matter how far technology progressed. He wrote a rather indepth article about how it was physically possible. The ironic, or perhaps pathetic part is that the Wright brothers had already made their famous flight at the time of this distinguished professor's article.

- The creator of Nike, or another well-known show company wrote up his business plan for his company as his final project for a college class. His professor gave his plan an F, saying it would never work. So the guy dropped out and started the company anyways, making millions.

So if anyone knows more specific examples than these, or perhaps a website that contains many examples, please share, and thank you in advance.

Practical Astronomy

phrontist — Fri, 29 Sep 2006 15:36:02 -0800

I've heard astronomy has given us great insights about basic physics (and could be seen as a form of basic physics research). What technologies do we have today that can trace their gensis to astronomical findings?

Tales of the origins of now-ubiquitous innovations?

padraigin — Tue, 02 May 2006 09:38:16 -0800

I'd love some help/direction/inspiration finding stories and quotes about inventions and technologies that are now ubiquitous, but were once considered to be unnecessary or impractical. I'm thinking along the lines of the Bill Gates-attributed "640k ought to be enough for anybody", or Henry Ford's quip that customers could have their car in any color they want, as long as it's black.

What I'm looking for are examples that illustrate how a new idea was once considered to be either a luxury, or to have no practical application in everyday life, but eventually came to be a household word--automobiles, washing machines, the television, etc. Specific examples would be most helpful, or general commentary on a certain area of technology or day-to-day life.

I'm already sifting through the various quote repositories, but would love any other sources, online or otherwise, that you can point me toward.

Plato denied Greek inventiveness?

stavrosthewonderchicken — Thu, 20 Apr 2006 18:56:08 -0800

During a recorded history lecture I was listening to recently, the professor mentioned in passing that Plato had said something to the effect that 'the Greeks never invented anything (but perfected what they borrowed)'. Can anyone point me to or quote the actual text in question, if it exists? My searches brought up nothing, and I though I've read most of Plato at one point or another, I can't remember that being written.

Do inventors pay royalties for fictionally-inspired technology?

Servo5678 — Wed, 05 Apr 2006 08:01:16 -0800

If someone were to create an actual working version of fictional technology, would the inventor have to pay royalties to the owner of the original fiction? Suppose someone came up with a real working warp drive that was directly based on the technology from Star Trek (right down to the big blue warp core and glowing nacelles). Before the warp drive could be mass produced and sold would the inventor have to negotiate with the group that holds the rights to Star Trek to work out a royalty payment?

This question doesn't pertain exactly to Star Trek, so feel free to come up with your own example if you like. We could be talking about stargates, lightsabers, or sonic screwdrivers if you want.

Making that Brilliant Idea Real

ZackTM — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 12:59:32 -0800

Inventionfilter: Lets say I've come up with a brilliant idea that will change the world as we know it. How do I go about making this idea a reality? For the sake of argument lets say it involves taking hair gel, individually packing it in single-serving sizes, and then selling it to the masses through different venues.

- do I need to create my own recipe for hair gel or can I use a well known brand name and still benefit from the success?

- How do I go about packaging the product (i imagine each packet to be the same dimensions as a ketchup packet)

- Can I obtain a patent for an idea like this?

- What would likely happen if i proposed this idea to an existing hairgel company?

How do I bring a widget to market?

MrMulan — Mon, 24 Oct 2005 11:13:11 -0800

How do I bring a widget to market? I have about 5k to spend. I am aware of a few basic steps. Any insights, advice, or books to be borrowed from the library is always appreciated.

In my case, the said widget is a children's toy based on balancing a ball, and a sensor that can sense if the ball is still in play.

1. I know I have to do a mock up and write-up of the widget. Done.
2. I need to have a prototype. Since the widget will have simple electronic components, who could help me here?
3. Marketing-totally lost-how can this widget be marketed? Toy companies, direct vendors, Home Shopping Network?
4. Manufacturing-I know it will probably be manufactured and assembled in Asia, as it looks like most cheap electronic toys are made there. But I live in NY-how does one even go about lining up a manufacturing/assembly/shipping point in Asia?

Is this even reasonable to contemplate at the $$$ I want to spend, and the fact that I have a totally unrelated full time job?

Oh and if this works out, one widget to all best marked answers as a thank you.

Who invented the disco ball?

ootsocsid — Sun, 04 Sep 2005 06:05:02 -0800

Who invented the disco ball?

Do YOU have an idea for an invention?!

crickets — Fri, 19 Aug 2005 14:35:32 -0800

I have an idea for a product, and I'd like to get a prototype made. Does anyone have a service they'd recommend? And how does one research materials? (It's going to be solely made of some kind of rubber, but I don't know what to call the kind of rubber I want...)