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It’s a Tricorder Jim, but not as we know it..!

It’s a Tricorder Jim, but not as we know it..!

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

Call for Nominations...

Call for Nominations...

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

WHO endorses invention

WHO endorses invention

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

Innovation is the New Status Quo

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

That's the way to Braigo!

That's the way to Braigo!

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

Dynamic Dyson – an inspiration for all inventors

Dynamic Dyson – an inspiration for all inventors

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

Inventing for Santa!

Inventing for Santa!

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

Inventor food for thought - Quote of the day...

Inventing for the disabled? Your chance to win support - with a top prize of £50,000!

Inventing for the disabled? Your chance to win support - with a top prize of £50,000!

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

James Dyson Award - Finalists Announced...

James Dyson Award - Finalists Announced...

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 -

Wake up and smell the cellulite! - David Wardell

Wake up and smell the cellulite! - David Wardell

A few weeks ago I wrote about the Advertising Standards Authority who were rubbishing the anti-radiation protective claims of Wireless Armour and their underpants - (It's Pants says advertising watchdog - August 15th) - claims so persuasive that even Sir Richard Branson was taken in. Step forward our friends 'across the pond' - the Federal Trade Commission - who have fined two companies for making ludicrous claims about their so-called fat-busting underwear. “The FTC’s compl

The Institute of Patentees & Inventors Ventures North! - David Wardell

The Institute of Patentees & Inventors Ventures North! - David Wardell

The Institute of Patentees & Inventors (of which I am a Director) is the UK's oldest inventor organisation - our centenary is only a few years away - and is set to achieve a long held goal. For many years, members have bemoaned the fact that IPI is a bit London-centric. Most of our meetings, and indeed our annual 'bash', are held in the capital. This is all set to change with the opening of a new office in Salford (Nr. Manchester). This new branch of the IPI will ceremonial

Heartwarming Stuff - from Invention and 3-D Printing!?!

Heartwarming Stuff - from Invention and 3-D Printing!?!

I came across the story of five year old Hayley Fraser in the UK press this week. Hayley was born with a congential abnormality, symbrachydactyly, which means she has no fingers on her left hand. Hayley has been fitted with a prosthetic, believed to be the first in the UK, supplied by www.enablingthefuture.org a US charity. You would expect this to be an expensive undertaking. Not a bit of it - the prosthetic hand costs only £50.00! It all started when two strangers, a US

C'mon Suckers! - David Wardell

C'mon Suckers! - David Wardell

In the UK it’s been an interesting week for that good-old inventors’ favourite - vacuum cleaners. First we had some Eurosceptic jingoistic furore over the European Commission limiting the size of vacuum cleaner motors and then James Dyson announced the launch of his new (or is it?) robot cleaner… Certain sections of the press have been rattling their collective sabres, with one tabloid thundering “Banning vacuum cleaners isn’t about saving the planet – it’s about Brussels gr

Mesmerising Door Designs by David Wardell

Sometimes you see things that make your heart sing with the joy of human ingenuity. These beautiful and mesmerising door designs made me feel just that. They are the brainchild of Austrian artist Klemens Torggler who has been working on different designs for some years. The steel version is, in engineering terms, beautifully elegant - but impractical. I can envisage some nasty trapped finger moments. The latest origami-like 'Evolution' model poses no such problems, having

A stunning Senior Moment - so true and so funny! - David Wardell

A stunning Senior Moment - so true and so funny! - David Wardell

A self important college freshman, walking along the beach, took it upon himself to explain to a senior citizen resting on the steps, why it was impossible for the older generation to understand his generation. "You grew up in a different world, actually an almost primitive one" the student said loud enough for others to hear. "The young people of today grew up with television, jet planes, space travel, man walking on the moon. We have nuclear energy, ships and cell phones

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Unless otherwise stated, all blog posts are my fault! David Wardell