A spin-off company from Tel Aviv University, Unispectral Technologies, promises to unveil their prototype ‘Tricorder’ this month. They claim to have developed very powerful optical lens and image processing software that can transform a smartphone into a hyperspectral sensor. The system works by vastly improving the resolution, not only to give better images but also allowing the camera to break down the chemical composition of objects – from a distance! As well as the head

The British Female Inventor and Innovator the Year (BFIIN) is now in its 13th year. Entry is now open and nominations are sought. Closing date for entries is 1st July. These prestigious awards will be presented at a glitzy ceremony in London on 14th October 2015. This is an open competition bringing together and putting the spotlight on incredible top inventive and innovative women from across Britain. The emphasis is on exceptionally creative items, inventions and innovat

Over the years I’ve met many inventors who have proudly shown me their safety inventions and then uttered the dread words: “All we have to do is get the law changed!” It is the earnest belief of such inventors that their invention is so important that it must become compulsory for all others to use it. I’m not suggesting for one moment that there is also the scent of commercial advantage in the air – heaven forfend – but legislation, as a route to market, is a long and exce

My hat’s off to the European Patent Office for managing to do ‘cool’! Who would have thought that a fusty old Patent Office had it in them? - "Where do we stand today when "change is the new status quo”? One of today's most appreciated and Emmy-nominated futurists, Jason Silva, shares his view on innovation and change" says the EPO blurb about this film. This piece particularly resonated with me as twenty years ago I wrote my first editorial for Inventor’s World Magazine. I

A thirteen year old California schoolboy has invented a low cost braille printer using components sourced from his toybox. Shubham Banerjee learned that current braille printers were not only cumbersome – weighing in at a hefty 9kg – but also cost some £1,300. Armed with this knowledge he adopted the classic inventor’s mindset – “There’s got to be a better way to do that!” As part of a school science project he set about designing a low cost solution and utilised his 'Lego

It’s the end of the year and most of us are looking forward to the challenges of the New Year. News about James Dyson, announced today, should both cheer and incentivise all inventors. I first met James over twenty years ago and have followed his meteoric rise with great interest (and admiration). Back then I don’t think either of us would have dreamt that today he would have an estimated fortune of £3 billion and has just overtaken the Queen in terms of landholdings. The p

In all fields of human endeavour and interest there are patents to reflect inventive thinking – Christmas is no exception! There are thousands to choose from – Christmas trees attract a lot of interest with inventions that include: holders; watering devices; revolvers; suspenders; etc. With ‘Health & Safety’ in mind, there are also lots of fire safety devices with extinguishers either being concealed in baubles or by nozzles strategically placed under/within the tree. One of

#humour #invention #photo

It’s not often that I can recommend an initiative from Nesta – the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts. I was one of the first trustees of Nesta and it breaks my heart to see how far away from its original aims and objectives it has moved, but that’s another story. In this case, the newly announced Inclusive Technology Prize can’t be sniffed at. Inventing for the disabled poses many challenges. Not least of which is the problem of seeing any sort of com

With only a few weeks to go before the winners are announced, the James Dyson Foundation have released a list of the twenty finalists who will go forward to be judged by Sir James himself. The finalists are an eclectic mix of talented design students from around the world who have produced some really interesting and useful work. Their entries positively "fizz" with ingenuity and inventiveness. Finalists include: MOM, a portable incubator system for refugee camps; Bruise -