Here are some new product ideas for things yet to be invented, or innovations yet to be tried. Why don't you be the inventor or innovator? Help yourself. There are no patents on the following ideas as far as I know - but do your patent research, of course. 1. A pavlovian dog calling device. The scientist Ivan Pavlov trained dogs to salivate when a bell rang - simply by ringing a bell whenever they ate. Imagine a small beeper on your dog's collar. Each time you feed him you first start the beeper with a radio-control device. Soon all you have to do to get him to come running for the kitchen is push that button and make the device beep. A range of up to a mile would be nice for calling the dog home. The technology for this is already here, waiting to be put together, but would people buy it? I think so. It's interesting, useful, and new product ideas for pets are always in high demand lately. 2. The Innovation Game. This is a competitive innovation teaching-game, to help develop the players creative skills. Cards challenge players to invent something (on paper) based on certain criteria. For example, a card might require players to combine two concepts in the most innovative way. All the various problem solving techniques would be exercised using these cards. One problem to overcome in developing this game is the competitive aspect. How would results be judged to determine a winner? Perhaps the game would have to have a volunteer sit out during each round, to function as a "judge" and award the points. 3. Better pedal boats. The pedal boats you see at many parks are designed so that two people can pedal them around a pond or lake. However, if you have ever tried one, you realize that they are less fun than they appear. This is mostly because they are slow. A better pedal boat would be in the shape of a torpedo. The point is to create something that glides through the water more easily. Even if it is to hold more than one person, the users could be in a line, instead of next to each other, for better streamlining. Make one that can actually hydroplane and everyone at the beach will want to try it out. 4. Underwater treasure hunting camera. With all the new interest in metal detectors and treasure hunting, this is a natural. Years ago there was a treasure hunter who regularly found guns, money and more in murky rivers, using a tube with a plexiglass glued over one end, and a light strapped to the outside. He held the device near the bottom of the river and was able to see what was there. What could be better than this? A small camera, especially now that the technology has developed smaller components. It could be lowered to great depths from any boat or dock. A motorized "claw" at the bottom might make it especially useful and interesting to those of us who like "toys." 5. Glue-on soles. (Some of you who don't hike might not relate to this one.) Blisters are caused by the friction of your feet sliding and rubbing on the inside of your shoes. A good non-heat-conducting sole, glued to your foot, could slide in that shoe all day while your feet were prevented from getting blisters, since the bottom of the foot itself wouldn't rub against anything. That is the essence of "New Soles," the newest in foot protection. Before writing this new product idea off as too weird, remember that we glue fake teeth into our mouths. A similar glue might do the trick, and these glue-on soles would be for very specific markets - like long distance hikers and runners. Of course, there will have to be a simple way to remove them too.
