Recently I encountered two people with different situations but the same goal. They want to commercialize their inventions. One person has a prototype and issued patents. The other inventor is not as far along, he has a proof of concept and not sure where to turn. My first question to either person is what is [...]

The Invention Addict 12 Step Program to Invent—Going from Inspiration to Innovation. This is a series of posts on the 12 steps how to invent a product. A DIY class for Inventors. The sixth step is SIMULATION. By simulation I mean developing a model to simulate the product. This is also known as PROTOTYPING. There [...]

Now this is cool. OK, it’s not going to change the world but as an engineer and product developer it makes me say to myself, “I’m jealous, I wish I designed that”. It illustrates some great design elements but backs it up with real engineering. Related Articles Invention Addicts, meet BotJunkie NAO Robot Expresses Emotions [...]

I though this was pretty clever From Gizmodo“As you remember, Lightlane was just a very clever concept in a design competition. Apparently the response was so overwhelming from bicyclists all over the world that the inventors actually decided to make it into a commercial product. Apart from the “super-bright red LEDs,” LightLane uses two high [...]

If you are a small business owner or you work in a corporation, it’s worthwhile to check out InventionMachine. Breakthrough Innovation Software Invention Machine drives sustainable innovation by enabling global organizations to consistently generate breakthrough ideas that accelerate product development. A leading provider of innovation software, Invention Machine empowers engineers and scientists to conceive and [...]

You decide, great invention or “just not feelin’ it”. Balance may be an issue. Any volunteers to buy some and report back? From KegWorks.com Talk about practical! This plastic party tray fits right over your drink, so you can hold everything in one hand. When you set your beer down for a food run, you [...]

Over on the Inventor’s Mentor Library Forum, I answered the following question: “What are the main things I should think about when “designing” my idea into a product?” My answer was well received so I thought I would share it with the Invention Addict readers in case they are not on the forum yet. I [...]

UPDATE: See the press release announcing the recent success of the OnTray. “Innovative and award-winning snap-on shopping cart tray is available in more than 200 stores in U.S. and abroad ” _______________________________________________________ I love stories like this. A mom has an idea to solve one of life’s little problems and she has the drive and [...]

The Invention Addict 12 Step Program to Invent—Going from Inspiration to Innovation. This is a series of posts on the 12 steps how to invent a product. A DIY class for Inventors. The fifth step is INVESTIGATION. This step is about doing an in depth search to determine if your idea is an invention worthy of [...]

This is one of my favorite stories about corporate America. Five Monkeys Start with a cage containing five monkeys. In the cage, hang a banana on a string and put stairs under it. Before long, a monkey will go to the stairs and start to climb towards the banana. As soon as he touches the [...]