Buzz
Life’s problems rarely have simple solutions, but there are brilliant minds out there who excel at creating gadgets that make our daily routines a bit easier. In this article, we’ll showcase some of the most fascinating innovations that may become mainstream in the near future.
12. Anti-Theft Car Seat
A car is stolen every 26 seconds, so it might be a good idea to check your garage before you finish reading this. To help reduce car theft, researchers in Japan have developed a seat equipped with sensors that learn the driver’s sitting pattern and weight distribution, effectively preventing unauthorized use.
It’s similar to a memory foam mattress that retains the shape of your body, except in this case, that shape becomes the key. If the wrong key—or person—sits down, the car won’t start.
11. Regal Guest Movie Feedback System
Going to the movies can be a hit-or-miss experience: sometimes you’ll enjoy a peaceful theater, and other times, you’ll have to deal with disruptive viewers. Sure, you could alert security, but then you’d miss the part where they explain how the robots were built and why they’re fighting aliens, leaving you confused for the rest of the film.
Thankfully, Regal Theaters has come up with a solution with their guest response system. It works like a remote control, allowing you to call an usher, report piracy, or notify them of technical issues. Already available in over 114 theaters, we expect its use to become even more widespread soon.
10. Anti-Loitering Pink Lights
The residents of Wales have recently been troubled by a particularly troublesome group: teenagers. While calling the authorities (or taking matters into your own hands) might seem like a quick fix, it’s not always effective, and who knows what might transpire before help arrives? Fortunately, a bright solution in the form of vibrant pink lights has emerged to protect the residents and their property values from further decline.
These lights, typically used in beauty salons to highlight skin imperfections like acne, cause embarrassed loiterers to scurry away, shedding greasy tears down their flushed, blemished faces. So far, the lights have received positive reviews and seem to work on people of all ages, regardless of their intentions.
9. Anti-Paparazzi Device
NYU graduate Adam Harvey has created a device to tackle one of the most despised groups around: the paparazzi. This gadget takes the form of a clutch bag and uses a microcontroller, LED lights, and a sensor to detect the bright flashes from cameras. When it detects a flash, it activates lights that overexpose the image, rendering the photo completely useless.
The device isn’t limited to just clutch bags. Roman Abramovich, owner of the world’s largest yacht, utilizes a similar device aboard his vessel, which employs a concentrated beam of infrared light to obscure the camera’s view.
Now, if only the device could target the paparazzi themselves and roast them like ants under a magnifying glass.
8. Anti-Wi-Fi Wallpaper
Slow Wi-Fi speeds are often caused by neighbors leeching off your connection, but a new type of wallpaper could put an end to that issue. This wallpaper is made with special crystals that block certain Wi-Fi frequencies, including the one your router uses. It traps the signals inside, preventing others from tapping into your bandwidth. The best part? It costs only slightly more than standard wallpaper.
7. Anti-Texting and Driving Device
With more than nine people dying each day in accidents caused by distracted driving, it’s clear why this issue has gained such widespread attention.
A new invention called the Quiet Zone offers a solution to this issue. Created by inventor Brandon Butts, this device sends a signal to phones with the corresponding app installed, silencing them. The supervising parent can control their child’s texting while driving or during any situation that demands cellular silence. Additionally, the device alerts parents if their child attempts to disable the app.
6. Speechjammer
Talkative individuals are far too abundant. You could politely deal with them—or take a more dramatic route and drop an anvil on their head (no judgment here).
Scientist Kazutaka Kurihara took a more scientific approach and developed a device called the Speechjammer. It works similarly to how your younger sibling repeats everything you say, eventually driving you into silence. The device replaces your sibling with a microphone, speaker, motherboard, and distance sensor, all powered by the Delayed Auditory Feedback principle.
The concept behind it is that when your brain hears its own words echoed back at it, it causes temporary confusion in the language processing area, forcing you to stop speaking.
5. Paintball Turret Gun
While dogs and security systems are useful, they don’t offer the kind of comical pain you dream of inflicting on an intruder… until now. The paintball sentry gun, designed by Jared Bouck, uses cameras to track movement and fires paintballs at an impressive rate of 34 rounds per second.
The turret is compact enough to fit in a backpack for quick deployment and can even be operated remotely from miles away.
4. Armstar Gauntlet
What seems like a gadget Bruce Wayne might use is actually a self-defense tool. Created by producer David Brown, known for his work with Rage Against the Machine and Snoop Dogg, this device features a high-voltage Taser, video camera, laser pointer, and flashlight—all packed into one powerful gauntlet.
Brown came up with the concept while discussing recent local mountain lion attacks with a friend. He pointed out that while a knife can easily be dropped, an armband is always worn. Weighing less than three pounds, the device features a pull-pin mechanism for its stun function. It is currently available for purchase on the official website.
The software is so impressive that it even earned her the grand prize at Tvnext’s hacking event in Boston. The plug-in is set to be released later this year for Google Chrome and Firefox. So the next time you fall victim to a careless spoiler, remember, Jennie’s got your back—in code and spirit.
2. Real Spidey-Sense
If you’ve ever fantasized about being Spider-Man, sorry to burst your bubble. But if you’ve ever wished for a rough version of his least-exciting power, well... congratulations, we suppose: someone has created a suit that provides you with a Spidey-Sense.
Designed by Victor Mateevisti, the “Spidey Sense” suit consists of multiple ultrasonic rangefinders placed all over the body. When these rangefinders detect an approaching object, they apply pressure to the wearer’s body, alerting them to the presence of an incoming danger, like a thug, an exploding bus, or a mayfly.
Once the final tweaks are made, all you’ll need is some real web-slingers and a solid workout, and you’ll be back-flipping your way through downtown New York in no time.
1. Bed Bug Sniffer
Say goodbye to the hassle of getting rid of bedbugs. Created by Chris Goggin, the Bed Bug Sniffer is a device that functions like a dog’s nose, detecting the pheromones bedbugs emit to track them down. Since bedbugs have become resistant to many pesticides, this device—winner of Pop Sci Magazine’s invention award in 2011—will be a huge relief to anyone who’s ever worried about being bitten while they sleep.
