InventorSpot | Inventions, Innovations and Interesting Ideas for the Inventor in All of Us.

Chewing Robot Chomps Away At Summer Science Exhibition

by T Goodman

If the human jaw was not so complex, perhaps a Chewing Robot would not be an asset to dental research. But the jaw lets us chew in so many different ways, that humans turn out to be not-so-efficient testers of dental materials.

Does This Lamp Have Balls, Or What?

by T Goodman

Biomimicry is the celebration of nature in every sense -- a philosophy, a perspective, a practice... that recognizes nature knows best. Here is a perfect example from the field of interior design that really epitomizes man's love of nature. The lamp, by Russian designer Dima Loginoff, is called, simply, Male.

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New Artificial Heart Biomimics The Heart Of A Cockroach

by T Goodman

Did you ever wonder what makes the cockroach so resilient? Maybe it's the cockroach heart that has as many as 13 pumping chambers, as opposed to human and animal hearts that only have four pumping chambers.

Wood Biomimics Bone For More Functional Prosthetics

by T Goodman

For the first time, inspired by a tree's hierarchial structure of growth, Italian scientists have created bone prostheses from wood.

What Can A Maple Seed Teach A Helicopter About Flying?

by T Goodman

Perhaps you've never noticed this, or you don't live near maple trees, but the seeds of maple trees fall ever so slowly and, depending on the impact of the breeze or wind force, can be carried for miles before they land. A recently published study in the journal Science shows us why this happens and the significance it might have for future aerospace technology.

Man Made Trees Invite Natural Species To Return Home

by T Goodman

Once an agricultural area, the commercial/industrial city of Leeds, England has displaced millions of birds, bats, and small animals and hundreds of individual species have disappeared completely from the urban landscape. But Leeds has decided to bring its wildlife back.

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Heliotropic Biomimicry: Solar Panels That Follow The Sun

by T Goodman

Solar panels that track the sun currently involve the use of motors and electronic control systems to move them and convert the power to energy. But a team of engineering students at MIT, inspired by heliotropic plants that move in the direction of the sun all day (like a sunflower), have developed a new method of motivation for the photovoltaic cells to move. Their invention won first place in MIT's Making and Designing Materials Engineering Contest (MADMEC) -- a $100,000 prize!

A Double Strand of DNA & The Art Of Origami Meet Nanotechnology

by T Goodman

A new method of targeting drugs for delivery to cells is in development at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The new method combines the art of DNA origami with the science of nanotechnology and is expected to result in drug-carrying nanostructures that can weather the storms of intracellular "hurricanes."

Inspired By A Nocturnal Gecko: Possible Strange Visions!

by T Goodman

A nocturnal gecko, the Helmeted gecko (or Tarentola chazaliae), that is native to the west coast of Africa, has caught the attention of Swedish researchers, who gazed into the eyes of the little lizard looking for the secret to his powerful and colorful night vision. What they found may help them to create better camera lenses as well as multi-optical contact lenses for human eyes.

Moss Can Be Used As 'Surrogate Mother' To Human Genes

by T Goodman

Moss, that dark green, short, furry plant that seems to grow spontaneously in dark, moist spaces, has unexpectedly shown up as a kind of surrogate mother to human genes, able to read human genes and manufacture the proteins encoded on them! This finding, made by Martin Fussenegger, Professor of Chemical and Bioengineering at ETH Zurich and others at the University of Freiburg im Breisgau, is a 450 million year old reversal of fortune!

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