Great Ideas from the Nuremberg Inventors Fair
From October 27-30, lovers of useful and crazy inventions had a great time at the Nuremberg fair grounds. Clever engineers were presenting their innovations at the iENA invention fair.
Inventions give wings
What is this supposed to be? It looks like a solar-powered flying car. But it is nowhere near as slim or elegant as the record-holding Solar Impulse 2. The answer? This invention is indeed solar powered and also environmentally friendly, but it is neither designed to travel around the world, nor can it fly...
e-ICE
Yummy - no this solar-powered ice cream parlor cannot fly, but a refreshing sundae in the summer may make some people hover. And - this vehicle will have no problem recharging it's batteries in the heat. Just leave it in the sun while you catch some rays yourself at the beach.
What if it rains?
If you like riding your bicycle in less than perfect weather, this invention may be right for you. The transparent rain hood will certainly keep you dry - as it's fixed solidly to your bike frame. But please don't try it out during a hurricane or serious wind storm.
Perfect visibility
Another solution for rainy weather: This propeller is fixed to the visor with a suction cup. It generates an air stream which keeps the raindrops out of your eyes.
Safety from falling ice sheets
A hidden danger in the winter: When it freezes during the night, thick and heavy plates of solid ice can form on top of semi-trucks. The driver can neither see nor remove them without a ladder, and they can fall off while on the highway. These flexible awnings offer a solution. The driver pulls them down and removes the dangerous ice before hitting the road.
Rather a robot than a dog?
The two young inventors Alexander Bayer and Niklas Gutsmiedl built this robotic guide dog. "Blindbot" is equipped with GPS and able to warn of any obstacles. It will hardly be able to compete with a real seeing eye dog, however, since the living animal captures an entire complex situation around him with his senses and instinct.
Going nuts in the kitchen
Have you ever tried to open a coconut? You'll know that most utensils are useless. You're more likely to find help in your toolbox than in the kitchen. Today's cook can use this sleek and fancy coco-nutcracker.
Ugh! How seedy!
Not really! This new cleaning device is much more hygenic than conventional brushes or sponges. Not only is the handle made of stainless steel - the head consists of a special antibacterial silicone. Here, bacteria or mold spores stand little chance.
When the iENA trade fair opened its doors to the public on October 27, the exhibiting inventors used the good opportunity to present their ideas to potenital customers and industry partners. Here are some of the new concepts and products.