THE WHEEL (approx. 3100 BC)

While the inventor’s name might have been lost to history, their creation most certainly has lived on. The wheel is a natural inclusion on this list for how it revolutionized travel and trade. But it’s the wheel’s use outside of transportation that is truly remarkable. Many machines and devices use wheels, like pulleys, centrifuges, water wheels, and jet engines. Without the wheel, many inventions we now take for granted would’ve never existed.

THE AUTOMOBILE (1885)

Speaking of wheels, the most obvious use of wheels today is another boon that changed travel forever. Between the four wheels of the chassis to the steering wheel, the automobile gave people a chance to travel without spending a fortune or huge amounts of time. Henry Ford and Karl Benz may not have invented the car, but it’s their contributions that are most widely remembered and made automobiles accessible to the public. Ask yourself: how much harder would modern life be without a car?

THE COMPUTER (20^th century)

If you’re reading this, then it means you have one of two entries on this list: a computer. Again, there’s no exact inventor of the computer, but Alan Turing is largely considered one of the most influential people to computer sciences in general. Computers themselves have given us more than just video games and word processors; without them, we would’ve never landed on the moon or sequenced the human genome. Of course, most computers benefited greatly from the dawn of…

THE INTERNET (1960s)

AKA: The other component needed to read this blog post. Society is still reeling from the internet’s invention, with our approaches to communication, entertainment, and information all being upended. For this reason, it’s impossible to really describe just how it’s impacted the globe since the process is still ongoing. Nevertheless, the rapid change to global expectations on nearly all fronts makes the internet an obvious choice for this list.

COMMUNICATION (1836)

While we’re on the subject, communication surely qualifies as world-changing. While the term is broad, here it means “telephone, radio, and television” (although some might want to include the advent of language, both written and oral). Thanks to the telephone, you could speak to anybody, anywhere, at any time. The radio and television radicalized entertainment and newscasting, bringing it right into our homes without the need for a newspaper or cinema. While all three have suffered declines in popularity thanks to the internet, the internet wouldn’t exist without these forefathers.

REFRIGERATION (1876)

What’s for dinner? Before refrigeration, whatever you bought or caught that day would answer the question. Iceboxes were the first attempts at mainstream refrigeration but had to be restocked with ice daily and couldn’t last as long in the summer months. Now, the cold is completely artificially manufactured, allowing us to store meats and dairy products safely year-round. It’s also possible to transport ingredients across the globe, even in the most brutal of heats. And we can’t forget the greatest benefit here: being able to eat ice cream in the summer.

THE PLOW (approx. 3500 B.C)

The planet is resistant to change. Trying to dig up fertile soil to raise plants used to be back-breaking and slow before the plow was introduced. It may not be as flashy as some other entries on this list, but the plow allowed people to plant larger plots of land and move from subsistence farming to farming for trade. Interest in trade caused further developments in transportation, numbers, written language, and the construction of shelters and markets for agricultural products. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to claim that the plow is responsible for a blossoming of human civilization.

THE LIGHTBULB (1870s)

Up at dawn, asleep by dusk: this is how humans lived before lightbulbs. Even with candles, the flames were limited in range and only lasted for so long. The creation of Thomas Edison (and Nikola Tesla, but that’s another story…) is less notable for its power of light, however. It’s how it introduced electricity to every home- something that many appliances we now take for granted need in order to run.

STEAM ENGINE (1781)

If you wanted to travel prior to the steam engine, you had to dedicate days, even weeks to get to your destination. With a train, however, journeys took less time and didn’t require stops at night for the animals. We can thank James Watt for adding an additional condenser to a Newcomen engine in 1769 for this steam-powered wonder, the face of the industrial revolution.

THE PRINTING PRESS AND MOVABLE (1430s)

Before printing presses, books were for the wealthy and royal alone. Johannes Gutenberg brought literature out of the era of hand-copied manuscripts and eventually revolutionized communication, education, and entertainment. Without the printing press, many later inventions wouldn’t be possible. Think about it…how could we put together Ikea furniture without those easy-to-follow instructions by our side?

Where would these life-changing inventions be if it wasn’t for the inventors behind them? Every inventor has their own personality and approach to coming up with ideas. Do you know your inventing personality? You may be an everyday Edison or perhaps a dynamic or critical inventor. Take our quiz below to find out which one you are!

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In today’s world, our cell phones are a major part of our everyday lives. We use them from the minute we wake up, until right before we’re about to go to sleep…sometimes we’re even on them while we eat.

Two inventors, Dan Barnes and Wes LaPorte, were watching a television report one day when they discovered something unsettling. The report stated that our cell phones are contaminated with countless germs and even fecal matter.

Disgusted yet skeptical by the report, Barnes and LaPorte headed to a local lab so that they could have their phones tested and see just how accurate these claims were. To their surprise, the report was not far off. Their test results proved that the average cell phone is 18 times dirtier than a public restroom.

Faced with a challenge, the two inventors got to work, trying to create something that would offer a safe way of sanitizing a phone without taking away from our screen time.

After conducting some research, the two realized that the solution they were in search of was the same technology hospitals use to disinfect and sanitize their surgical equipment.

By utilizing UV-C light, hospitals are able to quickly disinfect an object within ten minutes, making it 100% sanitary. Using this same concept the two inventors created PhoneSoap.

With a main goal of making peoples everyday lives healthier, PhoneSoap went into production. To date, the duo has sold more than 100,000 units.

Similar to a tanning bed, PhoneSoap encompasses your phone while subjecting it to UV-C light for a ten minute period, not a bad trade-off for a germ-free phone.

By identifying a problem that many people face and creating an economical and time-efficient method of sanitizing, Barnes and LaPorte were able to invent a cost-effective solution to a wide-spread problem.

Sometimes, people may not realize a problem that they face every day. That’s why, as inventors, we constantly search for ways to make life better.

*Davison had no involvement with the design or creation of the featured product. *

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Place yourself in the seat of a big-rig driver. You’re driving down a long stretch of road one rainy evening when suddenly you see a car barreling into your lane. You do everything in your power to avoid the accident, without swerving into the busy oncoming lane. Your reaction time is critical, every second counts.

Unfortunately, this is a reality that many truck drivers face when they’re on the road.

Last year, there were a staggering 3,582 tractor-trailer related fatalities. In most of these cases, it was the drivers of the smaller vehicles who lost their lives.

Accidents can happen in the blink of an eye, far too quickly for humans to properly react to the situation. Which leaves one question that the team at Uber Technologies is trying to figure out; could a computer-driven big-rig react faster?

That’s correct. The company working feverously to bring us autonomous cars is also experimenting with self-driving tractor trailers.

The economic rationale for autonomous trucks is all too real. Imagine the efficiency of driverless tractor trailers delivering freight across the country. No pit stops, no driver fatigue, and a decrease in human error. Trucks could deliver cargo in record time, helping to grow the logistics industry, not to mention the potential for added safety on the already overcrowded highways of America. The reaction time of a computer when detecting a potential safety risk is unparalleled.

Last summer, Uber partnered with Otto, a company which specializes in autonomous vehicles, to begin testing their technology. City-to-city test trips have already begun.

Without this new technology on the market, economic breakthroughs and added safety standards would not be possible. Innovation is constantly happening around us, it’s what our society is built on.

The post Uber; Testing the Future of Highway Travel appeared first on Davison.

Hydration is the most important thing to consider when preparing for a day of hiking or for a long trip where you will need to supply your own water. No matter how much planning you do, you can never be 100% certain how much water you will need to bring.

Even professional outdoor enthusiasts cannot predict how much water they will need to consume to stay fully hydrated. More times than not, hikers have found themselves with far less water than they should have while out on their adventure.

How do you address the issue of not having enough water, after you have already started your journey? Sure, you can boil water but do you have all the equipment with you to do that? These were all issues that the team behind LifeStraw had to address when they set out to innovate the way people can drink water in remote locations where filtered water is not accessible.

LifeStraw offers a revolutionary new way for people to consume water from streams, rivers, lakes, and even stagnant puddles. Being only nine inches long and weighing two ounces, LifeStraw can fit in with any hikers gear without taking up too much room. With a filter lifespan of 1,000 liters of water per straw, this is one device that you will definitely want to take with you on your next adventure.

Thanks to LifeStraw’s unique micron hollow fiber membrane, it is able to filter water and removes 99.99% of bacteria without using chemicals. That means no weird aftertaste!

Who would have ever thought of being able to filter your own water, directly from the source, while you drink it? It’s thinking like this which paves way for new innovations that can change the way people do things, forever. Imagine what a device like the Lifestraw can do for people in natural disasters, third world countries, and stranded hikers. The amounts of lives this product can save are endless!

Davison Design & Development had no involvement with the design or development of the featured product.

Copyright, Davison Design & Development 2017

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It’s when we open our eyes and open our minds to the nature of improvement that innovation ignites.

For over 27 years, so many people have reached out to our professional team at Davison because they believed in their ideas. They are idea people. They are innovators. They are inventors.

These clients believed that they had found “a better way.” While some confidentially submitted ideas for completely new inventions, others submitted ideas for innovations that would improve a current way something is done. They were able to tune into their power of observation and open their minds to the possibility of improvement. In either case, these client stories are not unlike the story of our founder, Mr. George Davison. While they may have tried and failed and then tried again and failed again, it’s all a part of failing your way forward.

As we keep going after our ideas, new observations are realized. We learn to understand why it didn’t work the first time, the second time, the third time. However many times it takes is what’s necessary to make movement and progress. Just take it from one of Mr. Davison’s inspirational thought leaders:

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” – Thomas A. Edison

The lesson is to keep curious, keep observing and continue on the path to innovation. If you have an idea and want help on your invention journey, contact us today.

Copyright Davison, 2016

Media:

http://inventors.about.com/od/famousinventors/fl/Failed-Inventions-of-Thomas-Alva-Edison.htm

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Since 1989, Davison® has helped idea people turn their ideas into new products using our nine-step method that has proven to be A better way to invent®. For over twenty-five years, people have trusted our team of professionals to work through their ideas and hopefully get them to a stage where new inventions and innovations can be presented to corporations, manufacturers and retailers for possible licensing.

It’s not an easy process, but it’s a rollercoaster that many find to be worth the ride!  Let’s see how the Davison licensing department does it.

According to Licensing’s Bob and Matt, it’s all about staying true to our inventing method. How can we match our clients’ ideas with the right companies’ product lines and turn them into products that are ready to license? This question is only answered with a whole lot of work, research and relationship-building! Here’s a snapshot of just a few things our licensing team thinks about and works towards on a daily basis:

Get in tune with the company

It all starts with finding out more about a company’s mission, manufacturing style, product lines and their competition.

“We want to know where their focus is, so we can drive more products to best suit their needs,” said Bob and Matt. “They need to know who they’re up against – and so do we!”

 Learn the areas of attack

“We want to know what areas they want to attack. Then, we can focus on the client ideas that fit those categories so we can make an impact to the company as quickly as possible in their space,” said this Davison licensing duo. It’s all about knowing what a company does and does not want to see.

Find out the best ways to integrate

Having knowledge and background on a potential licensing partner only takes us so far. Then, it’s time to figure out the best ways to integrate client ideas into these companies’ lines.

“We want to know their business so we can develop ideas into product samples that integrate into their organization,” said Davison CEO and founder Mr. George Davison. “The Davison way to invent is all about integration!”

Are you ready to move forward with your idea with the help of Davison and our licensing department? Confidentially submit your idea today!

Copyright Davison, 2016

The typical Davison client project is not licensed, sold in stores or profitable.

The post Three Ways Davison Works to Get Inventions Licensed appeared first on Davison.

August 31, 1897.

This was the day that famed inventor and innovator Thomas Edison received a patent for the kinetographic camera. By creating a device that made it possible for films to be viewed by one person at a time through a viewer, Edison created what would later become the motion picture camera.

Edison was always trying to find a better way to do something. The invention of the kinetographic camera came to be as he was trying to boost the sales of his phonograph, which was an invention that allowed for the recording and reproduction of sound.

Inventions usually come to light as a solution to a particular problem. In the case of the kinetographic camera, the problem that Edison was having was synchronizing sound with moving pictures.

Since he couldn’t sync the two media together for his phonograph, he then invented the kinetographic camera with his assistant W.K.L. Dickson, which used celluloid film that had been invented by George Eastman to create moving pictures without sound – silent films.

Once he got his hands on the celluloid film, Edison had three of his workers pretend to be blacksmiths for his moving film.

The film could only be viewed through a peephole at the top of the camera, but it was this invention idea that inspired many to gain interest in the film industry.

The invention however, wasn’t an immediate success. In fact, it took about a decade for it to catch some momentum. That momentum was cut short as screen projectors were introduced into the industry, which made it easier for a group of people to watch a silent movie all at once.

That didn’t deter the inventing duo, because between 1893 and 1903, Edison produced more than 250 films at the Black Maria, which was a film studio that was created by Dickson. Many of the films are those that are found in the Edison Motion Pictures collection at the Library of Congress.

The lesson behind Edison’s kinetographic camera is to always keep your eyes open and be willing to welcome ideas. His journey started to boost sales for the phonograph and ultimately transformed into the creation of a brand-new invention.

Change is a constant in the invention industry and you can leave your mark, too.

The only way to find out is by submitting your invention idea today.

Copyright Davison, 2016

Sources:

https://thestandardedition.com/2010/08/31/edison-and-the-kinetographic-camera/

http://techzibits.com/august-31-thomas-edison-patents-the-kinetographic-camera/

https://memory.loc.gov/ammem/today/aug31.html

Media:

http://techzibits.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/edison-kinetoscope.jpg

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There’s no doubt that all of our clients’ feedback over the years has been extremely valuable.

Whether we receive suggestions, comments or even ideas on how to improve our services, we put them to good use and infuse them into our work to provide an even better inventing method.

For a boost in the motivation department, we would like to share with you some of the positive feedback that we’ve gotten from our happy clients that have received our Pre-Development Portfolios.

Without further ado, here are five pieces of motivating feedback from real Davison clients:

“I feel Davison is a great company because they are very helpful.” – Philip L.

“Davison is doing a great job on my behalf.” –Paul J.

“Davison is the best of all. I’m so glad to have found you!!!” ­– Wayland H.

“Thank you for such an awesome experience. I am grateful.” ­ ­- Tina F.

“Thank you for your expertise in everything!” ­–Lelia F.

If you’re ready to make your inventing dream a reality, submit your invention idea today!

Copyright Davison, 2016

The typical client project is not licensed, sold in stores or profitable.

The post Monday’s Motivation: Positive Client Feedback appeared first on Davison.

Did you know that on this day in 1844, Charles Goodyear received a patent for vulcanized rubber?

His last name might ring a bell and if you were thinking, “Could this be the man behind Goodyear Tires?” you would be correct!

Charles Goodyear was an American inventor who discovered the innovative process of vulcanized rubber.

His story begins in 1834 when he began to experiment with natural rubber. Five years later in 1839 by way of an accident, he discovered the process of vulcanization.

Let’s pause for a quick science lesson.

Vulcanization is essentially a chemical process that’s used to convert natural rubber or related polymers into more durable materials through the addition of sulfur and other accelerators or curatives.

OK – Back to the story.

So, after making this discovery, Goodyear realized that he was on to something! It was at this moment that he became determined and laser-focused on finding a better way to make rubber more stable.

Along his journey, Goodyear lived a very meager life. He didn’t have much to his name and lived for years off of the money that he received from investors.

Despite his financial woes, Goodyear continued on with his unwavering inventing spirit and, as we mentioned before, given the fact that the rubber industry in America was starting to plummet, he discovered that through vulcanization he could make rubber melt-proof and reliable.

Ten years after his journey started, Goodyear received a patent for his process, licensed it to manufacturers and made history.

Charles Goodyear’s story is a great example of how strong and resilient the inventing spirit can be. Though curveballs were thrown at him along the way, Goodyear kept his head down and feverishly worked to make his dreams a reality.

Are you going to take a page out of Charles Goodyear’s book? Submit your invention idea, today!

Copyright Davison, 2016

Sources:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulcanization

http://www.biography.com/people/charles-goodyear-9315611#synopsis

https://www.american-inventor.com/charles-goodyear

Images:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/11/Goodyear-Charles-LOC-closeup.jpg

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We’ve all been there before – you’re burning the candle at both ends and are getting closer and closer to creative burnout. You’re clinging to the mantra, “No rest for the weary” as you rapidly begin to lose steam.

Though we’ve heard time and time again that you should get no less than seven hours of sleep each night, in this day and age with the busy schedules that we all juggle, getting adequate amounts of sleep each night is nothing short of impossible.

Thomas Edison agreed. Yes, the Thomas Edison, the famous inventor and idea person believed that his invention of the incandescent light bulb would liberate people from the constraints of sleep.

That’s why Edison was an advocate for naps.

But, not just any nap – power naps. Now, Edison wasn’t a supporter of sleep for lazy purposes. Rather, he encouraged people to get their rest for the creative, productive and overall work-ethic benefits that resulted.

Idea people, listen closely. If you’ve been struggling with a creative block, we might have found what you need to jump over this hurdle and never look back. The answer is sleep!

Though Edison seemed to be very proud of his lack of sleep, it was said that he only got as little as three to four hours of sleep each night. But, Edison did take power naps.

All throughout his property were napping cots. You could find these cots in his library and even in his laboratories. Though he had cots for his power naps, he wasn’t afraid to rest in some peculiar places, like under a tree in the middle of the day!

So, why did he like naps more than a full night’s rest? Edison believed that his napping helped counterbalance the intensity of his labor. Most days, he would take a nap or two. When he woke up from his quick rest, he was reinvigorated and ready to tackle the next problem.

The lesson to be learned here is that sleep is a necessary piece to the innovation puzzle. Sleep allows for you to reignite your creativity, to see things in a new light and to build on ideas that you previously struggled with. Rest is essential in helping us reach and exceed an even higher standard than we set out to attain on our pursuits for creative excellence.

Burned out? A good rest can help.

Copyright Davison, 2016

Sources:

https://www.brainpickings.org/2013/02/11/thomas-edison-on-sleep-and-success/

Images:

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9d/Thomas_Edison2.jpg

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