Inventions and Ideas

Inventions are easy - on paper and in your mind. In fact, if you know the right techniques, you can sit down tonight and have dozens of ideas for new products, services and gadgets. The real work is in the follow-through: making prototypes, patenting, marketing and distribution.

If you think you can get someone to do those things, you're right. However, convincing other people or companies of the value of your idea may be one of the most difficult parts of the process. Who would have thought a man could sell a million "pet rocks?"

In any case, here are some invention ideas for things I haven't yet seen. If you want to take them and run with them - go for it. But be sure to do your patent research. Just because I haven't seen them doesn't mean they aren't out there somewhere, and if I can think up these ideas, so can others.

Inventions and Ideas for Children

Giant Children's Books

There are all sorts of kid's books out there. They have mirrors in them, holes that allow a picture to be continually seen as you turn the pages, pop-ups and more. What I haven't seen yet is a giant book. You can bet that little children would be fascinated by a meter-high colorful book.

Parents would buy it not only to make the children happy, but to be the first to have one. It would be a decoration for the kid's bedroom as much as a book for reading. In fact, to be read, it would have to be leaned against the wall and the cover opened like a door. Maybe a cover that looked like a door is a good place to start.

Inflatable Kites

Kites normally require sticks of some sort to hold them open. However, they could maintain their rigidity by being inflated - no frame needed. Being made only of flexible material (whether plastic or nylon or mylar), they would also fold up small, making them easier to carry or pack away. To use them one simply inflates by mouth and ties on the string.

What about those days when the breeze is too light? This suggests another invention: the helium-kite. These kites could be flown in any amount of wind, and with proper design could still fly more-or-less normally, or with some maneuverability if designed like a stunt kite.

TV Homework

Tired of the kids watching too much television? Make it educational! The idea here is a device which is attached to the TV and controls whether it can be seen or not. In fact, before the child can watch, the screen shows a series of questions which need to be answered. Study-guides come with the device, and it is programmable according to the age of the child.

A new set of questions comes on every hour, blocking regular programs until this "homework" is done. A certain percentage of correct answers is required. The child answers using the remote control.

Backpacking Inventions and Ideas

Air-Frame Backpack

Those of us who like to travel light in the wilderness often use frame-less backpacks. It is common to put folded sleeping pads in the pack, against our backs, to provide cushioning and support for the load. Some use their self-inflating pads, circling the inside of the pack and packing everything inside that.

Perhaps a better idea is to have the part of the pack that rests against the user's back inflate. The technology used for lightweight self-inflating sleeping bag pads would be perfect. This might add six ounces to the total weight, but the backpack double as a foot-bag/pad for sleeping, a pillow, or even a backrest when taking a break.

Attachable Sleeping Pads

Traditional sleeping bag pads for camping insulate you from the ground and provide comfort. But they only do this at the points of contact - less than 20% of surface area of the pad. Extra pad means extra weight, and some backpackers count every ounce.

To resolve this problem we need small pads that attach to clothing at the hips, shoulders, knees, etc. They can be just a few inches wide. Velcro might work for attaching, as long as the total weight of the system was under the 9 ounces or. (Regular closed-cell foam pads normally weigh 12 ounces.)

Want to know how to create your own invention ideas? I recommend the following resources:

Problem Solving Power - More than two dozen effective and fun techniques for solving problems and generating ideas. 32 information-packed chapters that will change your thinking. (This is an inexpensive e-book.)

How To Have New Ideas - This fun little ebook comes free when you subscribe (also for free) to the Brainpower Newsletter.

Resource:

Money Making Ideas