Hi,
as there is often a chance that I forget to switch the mobile phone off during driving, I find myself tempted to answer the phone during commuting. Hence, I would like to use a gadget of sort -- possibly bluetooth based that can switch the answer phone message automatically when I am sitting in the car. It also could switch it back once I leave the car.
People calling me would not be so disturbed that I am not answering immediately and maybe inclinded to leave a message instead.
Saturday, March 13, 2010
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
IDEA: DIY clothing
Hi,
clothing comes as of the rack or tailored. I could imagine that clothing could be combined when suitably build just like a puzzle. Straight pieces like the back, sides and front can be made of regular rectangles or triangles. Only pieces like shoulders and neck may require customisation.
Hence the idea of a DIY kit for clothes that allows a fashion able person to combine various elements and patterns in a semi permanent fasion ( zippers, magnetic, velcro or otherwise ). With various elements and details a person may be able to develop reusable and distinguishable clothing.
clothing comes as of the rack or tailored. I could imagine that clothing could be combined when suitably build just like a puzzle. Straight pieces like the back, sides and front can be made of regular rectangles or triangles. Only pieces like shoulders and neck may require customisation.
Hence the idea of a DIY kit for clothes that allows a fashion able person to combine various elements and patterns in a semi permanent fasion ( zippers, magnetic, velcro or otherwise ). With various elements and details a person may be able to develop reusable and distinguishable clothing.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
IDEA: emergency pump for small volumes
Hi,
the washing machine waste filter got clogged up with what turns out later to be a lolipop stick. In order for the filter to be accessible there was the need to pump out all the water. Usually, I have a little tray which I fill time and time again to empty the machine.
However, tired of dumping and spilling most of the water in the process I was thinking about how to create a water pump. The design ended up to be very simple in the end. A 2 liter water bottle with smooth sides got cut in half at the diameter half way up the bottle. The two halves could be pushed into each other with a thin cut of the bottom half to make it slightly smaller in diameter.
Using tape and a sturdy plastic sheet I sealed the bottle as to allow the parts to slide into each other easily. On pulling the bottom part out create a small vaccum that is forced to be filled through the lid as the plastic sheet sticks to the gap and prevents air to enter at the cut seam.
The design allows around 800ml of water to be sucked up before the water needs to be expelled by unscrewing the cap and letting the water out. Also, at this time pushing the bottom back into the top to "reload" the bottle so to speak. Repeat this process until all the water that can be extracted has gone. Then it was a minor spillage to get to the filter and remove the blockage.
I fitted the cap with a thin piece of hose so that I do not have to hold the bottle into the water directly. Also, if the machine is still quite full gravity will help letting the water out. Simply submerge the whole of the hose into water to get all the air out. Then put one end into the machine water and hold the other end near the floor into a bucket of even drain if there is one. The water will then flow down until the hose sucks in air or the water level is too low.
the washing machine waste filter got clogged up with what turns out later to be a lolipop stick. In order for the filter to be accessible there was the need to pump out all the water. Usually, I have a little tray which I fill time and time again to empty the machine.
However, tired of dumping and spilling most of the water in the process I was thinking about how to create a water pump. The design ended up to be very simple in the end. A 2 liter water bottle with smooth sides got cut in half at the diameter half way up the bottle. The two halves could be pushed into each other with a thin cut of the bottom half to make it slightly smaller in diameter.
Using tape and a sturdy plastic sheet I sealed the bottle as to allow the parts to slide into each other easily. On pulling the bottom part out create a small vaccum that is forced to be filled through the lid as the plastic sheet sticks to the gap and prevents air to enter at the cut seam.
The design allows around 800ml of water to be sucked up before the water needs to be expelled by unscrewing the cap and letting the water out. Also, at this time pushing the bottom back into the top to "reload" the bottle so to speak. Repeat this process until all the water that can be extracted has gone. Then it was a minor spillage to get to the filter and remove the blockage.
I fitted the cap with a thin piece of hose so that I do not have to hold the bottle into the water directly. Also, if the machine is still quite full gravity will help letting the water out. Simply submerge the whole of the hose into water to get all the air out. Then put one end into the machine water and hold the other end near the floor into a bucket of even drain if there is one. The water will then flow down until the hose sucks in air or the water level is too low.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
IDEA: recover energy from waste water
Hi,
it appears to be wasteful that hot or warm water is drained away in sewage pipes without at least recovering some energy from the temperature. To recover the energy different means are possible. Suggestive would be to recover the kinetic energy using some form of wheel or other mechanism. This is only possible for slightly soiled water as the danger of clogging the mechanism is rather great. Technically, the means to recover the kinetic energy is some form of obstacle which will collect slower and heavier substances easily.
To recover the heat energy is easier. By using heat conducting piping for parts of the way a heat transfer can be easily achieved. It suggest itself to use a meandering two metal coating inside the pipe which would in itself convert the heat into a small amount of electricity. Once the sacrifical electrode is used up the pipe will still be intact and therefore would not lead to any impairment or structural weakness of the functionality of the pipe.
it appears to be wasteful that hot or warm water is drained away in sewage pipes without at least recovering some energy from the temperature. To recover the energy different means are possible. Suggestive would be to recover the kinetic energy using some form of wheel or other mechanism. This is only possible for slightly soiled water as the danger of clogging the mechanism is rather great. Technically, the means to recover the kinetic energy is some form of obstacle which will collect slower and heavier substances easily.
To recover the heat energy is easier. By using heat conducting piping for parts of the way a heat transfer can be easily achieved. It suggest itself to use a meandering two metal coating inside the pipe which would in itself convert the heat into a small amount of electricity. Once the sacrifical electrode is used up the pipe will still be intact and therefore would not lead to any impairment or structural weakness of the functionality of the pipe.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
IDEA: USB data stick with index and file listing display
Hi,
with the increasing popularity of USB memory sticks eventually many owner will use several USB sticks for their day-to-day usage. However, with their capacity increasing it will become difficult to remember what data is stored on which stick - or if lost what data is lost.
Hence my idea to put a small display known from budget mp3 players on the stick that will allow to browse the content of the stick. Ideally, there should be a mechanism to mark content so that when pluggin the memory stick into the computer the correct program to read this content is already starting automatically.
Your host computer would keep track of all the other memory sticks you own and will update the inventory on the memory stick automatically when it is attached to the computer.
with the increasing popularity of USB memory sticks eventually many owner will use several USB sticks for their day-to-day usage. However, with their capacity increasing it will become difficult to remember what data is stored on which stick - or if lost what data is lost.
Hence my idea to put a small display known from budget mp3 players on the stick that will allow to browse the content of the stick. Ideally, there should be a mechanism to mark content so that when pluggin the memory stick into the computer the correct program to read this content is already starting automatically.
Your host computer would keep track of all the other memory sticks you own and will update the inventory on the memory stick automatically when it is attached to the computer.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
IDEA: Passive in-door illumination
Hi,
with the fibre optical material coming down in price the concept of directing light from outside to the inside is more affordable. Some interesting concepts and ideas are on the horizon:
Similar to water, sewage and electricity one can consider a lighting infrastructure directing outside natural light to various places within the building and/or appliances. A well placed collection point for light with a wide angle lense or for more luxurious systems a sun tracking mirror will feed the light into the system. Night time and low light compensation could be achieved by a high efficiency light source supplementing the systems feed.
Using a simple plug-in system, light could be fed into appliances such as refriderators or freezers perhaps even with IR light filtering for background illumination. This, of course, can be appreciated best with see-through doors know from the retail fridges. Closets and cabinets with bad lighting could well be supplemented with daytime lighting as needed.
Interesting, given sufficient light, are connecting fibres up to flat-screen TV, flat-screen computer screens and other electronic devices that normally are supplemented with a build in light source. Particular for laptops such a built in lightsource is rather battery draining.
However, for the short term benefits a natural light is quite night for background illumination in living or working areas as there are general ergonomical benefits of natural light.
with the fibre optical material coming down in price the concept of directing light from outside to the inside is more affordable. Some interesting concepts and ideas are on the horizon:
Similar to water, sewage and electricity one can consider a lighting infrastructure directing outside natural light to various places within the building and/or appliances. A well placed collection point for light with a wide angle lense or for more luxurious systems a sun tracking mirror will feed the light into the system. Night time and low light compensation could be achieved by a high efficiency light source supplementing the systems feed.
Using a simple plug-in system, light could be fed into appliances such as refriderators or freezers perhaps even with IR light filtering for background illumination. This, of course, can be appreciated best with see-through doors know from the retail fridges. Closets and cabinets with bad lighting could well be supplemented with daytime lighting as needed.
Interesting, given sufficient light, are connecting fibres up to flat-screen TV, flat-screen computer screens and other electronic devices that normally are supplemented with a build in light source. Particular for laptops such a built in lightsource is rather battery draining.
However, for the short term benefits a natural light is quite night for background illumination in living or working areas as there are general ergonomical benefits of natural light.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
IDEA: Kinetic energy recover for cars
Hi,
last month I have been thinking about the wasted energy decelerating vehicle and regenerative breaking. There are good and viable systems around to recover the energy from cars by means within the car. However, I was and still am intruiged by the notion of recovering energy using the road surface or other means.
At the time I considered traffic lights, intersection and off ramps on motorways to be a good place for implementing such devices. Now I would like to consider the use of regenerative breaking at stop signs. The main advantage of a stop sign is that all cars must break at this place. Every car must come to a full stop. A regenerating road surface, such as a slight ramp that uses the weight of the vehile will not only provide a means of recovering some of the kinetic energy but also improves road safety be delaying quick progress at this point, i.e. running the stop sign.
My favorite mechanism at a stop sign is likely to be a ramp. It normally is in the upper position requiring the vehicle to traffel upwards onto it. Whilst the ramp then sets to its lower position the car must be required to stand before continuing. Once the car has left the ramp sufficient time needs to be given to the following car for the ramp to raise up again. This is dependent on the travel distance of the ramp but should be small. Hence, unlike all other places, the ramp will be actuated for every car.
Considering the ramp for a moment, I envisage a mechanically raised large sheet of metal lifting a total of 2-3 cm up from the road surface either using pneumatically or hydraulic system. The passing car pushes down the ramp and by driving up the ramp transfers some of the energy to the system. It is also store for the lifting action once the car has left the ramp.
For safety reasons the travel distance must be small else to avoid creating a tripping hazzard or possible damage to vehicles reversing for whatever purpose over the ramp. Smaller travel distances mean more force needs to be transferred and thus the mechanism becomes slower.
last month I have been thinking about the wasted energy decelerating vehicle and regenerative breaking. There are good and viable systems around to recover the energy from cars by means within the car. However, I was and still am intruiged by the notion of recovering energy using the road surface or other means.
At the time I considered traffic lights, intersection and off ramps on motorways to be a good place for implementing such devices. Now I would like to consider the use of regenerative breaking at stop signs. The main advantage of a stop sign is that all cars must break at this place. Every car must come to a full stop. A regenerating road surface, such as a slight ramp that uses the weight of the vehile will not only provide a means of recovering some of the kinetic energy but also improves road safety be delaying quick progress at this point, i.e. running the stop sign.
My favorite mechanism at a stop sign is likely to be a ramp. It normally is in the upper position requiring the vehicle to traffel upwards onto it. Whilst the ramp then sets to its lower position the car must be required to stand before continuing. Once the car has left the ramp sufficient time needs to be given to the following car for the ramp to raise up again. This is dependent on the travel distance of the ramp but should be small. Hence, unlike all other places, the ramp will be actuated for every car.
Considering the ramp for a moment, I envisage a mechanically raised large sheet of metal lifting a total of 2-3 cm up from the road surface either using pneumatically or hydraulic system. The passing car pushes down the ramp and by driving up the ramp transfers some of the energy to the system. It is also store for the lifting action once the car has left the ramp.
For safety reasons the travel distance must be small else to avoid creating a tripping hazzard or possible damage to vehicles reversing for whatever purpose over the ramp. Smaller travel distances mean more force needs to be transferred and thus the mechanism becomes slower.
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