If you or anyone you know has ever been in this situation, don’t fret. While sketching is an important part of both the brainstorming and prototyping phases, it’s not strictly necessary. There are also workarounds to get something like a sketch finished, without the need for artistic talent.

HIRE AN ARTIST

The most obvious solution is also the most difficult. Art takes time, and as the saying goes, time is money. Unless you have a very close friend or family member willing to be your sketch artist, you’re going to be shelling out for a commission. Even then, what you envision in your head might be difficult to communicate with others. Only attempt this step if the invention is simple design-wise and only if you have the funds.

ATTEND ART CLASSES

If you have the time, a few art courses might help you improve. This is still a desperate option and should only be tried if you have deep pockets. However, most art classes teach a great number of skills beyond being able to sketch, which could prove useful as an inventor. If you’re a student, see if it’s offered as an elective. Also, many community centers offer art classes.

USE CLIPART

Clipart and premade assets might not convey professionalism, but they’ll do in a pinch. Combined with the above methods, it may be possible to create something far closer to your interior visualization. Don’t be afraid to be creative, especially with any recolor or cropping tools. Need a wheel? Crop one off a car. Use a jump rope as a cord. You’re an inventor and therefore naturally creative. The options are endless.

USE A GRAPHING PROGRAM

As we covered in a previous article, graphing and art programs may assist you if you struggle to draw. Being able to connect lines through points, both straight and curved, should give you the same freedom you’d expect with a pen or pencil. The drawback is that some programs are finicky to use or cost money, but plenty of free alternatives exist.

SKIP TO PROTOTYPING

Why not? Skipping to the prototyping is a viable option in some cases. It may be a bit more difficult without a sketch, especially if you’re using a 3D printing program. But it’s still possible! If you can modify previously-existing products, that’s a great way to start. And if you have to start from scratch, using a 3D printer is still feasible. In fact…

USE A MODELING PROGRAM

Using a 3D modeling program has the added bonus of making a multi-dimensional version of your product. There is one downside: many 3D modeling programs are difficult to use and can be costly. Again, if you can find a friend who owns the program and have them assist you, it should make your project all the easier. From there, you can go straight to printing and have a basic prototype for your pitch meeting.

SKETCH ANYWAY

Unless it is physically impossible, try sketching anyway. It may not be the most beautiful or recognizable creation, but the only way to improve is through practice. Furthermore, drawing your invention yourself is the only way to ensure it looks like it does in your head. Just remember to use fresh paper and your eraser.

Remember: there is no wrong way to sketch. If you can hold a pencil, you can do it. Believe in your own talent.

While sketching is important to help get your idea across, don’t feel stressed if sketching isn’t your strong point. As long as you have inspiration for your idea and you can describe it we can help you! Check out what type of inventor you are by taking our inventor persona quiz!

The post What To Do If You Can’t Draw appeared first on Davison.

So, when Felicia Marshal came to Davison with a Better Way to alert parents, who may have forgotten a child in the car, we got to work.

We designed the Sound of Life alarm system, a two-piece system that sets off the car alarm when the engine is off, the doors are locked and a child is still sitting inside.

“It is triggered by any motion, any weight, any body heat… It would automatically sound your car alarm to let you know the child has been left inside,” said Marshal, when she recently took her Sound of Life idea to a Florida news station.

The NBC affiliate, First Coast News in Green Cove Springs, Florida, told Marshal’s entire story during one of their newscasts.

“One day returning from the store, Marshall said she was in such a rush to get the [groceries] out of the vehicle [that] she thought her mom had taken the child out of the car seat, but she did not and it went unnoticed for a few minutes.

“‘I had heard a lot of stories prior to that and it really didn’t bother me because I am one of those parents who says I’m always on top of everything,’ she said. ‘But once it happened to me I was thinking someone needs to do something about it.’”

Of course, that’s when Marshal took matters into her own hands and sought out our help. She also told First Coast News about that.

Pay close attention to Marshal’s story, particularly at the end, when they refer to the “Pittsburgh company” that designed the idea. Spoiler alert: it’s us!

Congratulations to Marshal, another Davison client who dared to invent and is following her invention dreams!

Read Marshal’s entire story here.

Copyright Davison 2014

Sources:

http://www.firstcoastnews.com/story/news/local/2014/07/29/mom-designs-alarm-child-hot-car-sound-of-life/13336301/

The post NBC News in Florida Shares Davison Client’s Invention Story appeared first on Davison.

Unfortunately for Watson, a conventional golf cart was not always helpful during his 18-hole adventures.

So, with some help from the Oakley company, Watson found a “better way” to cruise across the greens, sand traps, woods and water hazards that his golf game too often led him to.

“Golf carts have looked the same, they’ve been the same… but, let’s have fun… who doesn’t want to do that?” said Watson.

Using a hover craft principle, along with the roof, seat handles and other elements of existing golf carts, Watson created an improved cart that could hover above the geographical features of any golf course.

At Davison, we’ve used the same technology to assist auto mechanics in gliding under cars on less-than-even garage floors. Our award-winning Hover Creeper became the lowest ground-clearing creeper on the market; so, Watson may just be on to something!

His first prototype, the BW1, promises a no-bump ride across fairways, greens, water hazards, sand traps and woods. In fact, the BW1′s footprint pressure is 33-times less than a human footprint!

Of course, like many inventors, Watson admits that the public was not always supportive of his game-changing invention.

“I see a lot of stares, a lot of laughs and then they see how efficient it is… I think it’s going to really get more people involved. They’re going to just want to drive the hover craft and not play golf…” said Watson.

Who wouldn’t want to take the BW1 for a spin?

See Bubba’s Hover in action:

Copyright Davison 2014

Sources:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=z5u_2bGPdUY

The post Bubba Watson’s Idea Hovers Above Traditional Golf Carts appeared first on Davison.

As a chef, you have to be nimble, have good dexterity and be able to manipulate foods during preparation and plating. Although that sounds difficult enough as it is, could you imagine doing all of those things with a prosthetic hand?

On November 12, we wrote about a father who used a 3D printer to create a working-prototype of a prosthetic hand for his son. Well, it turns out that Leon McCarthy and classically-trained chef Eduardo Garcia have something in common; they both have a prosthetic hand.

However, unlike McCarthy, Garcia didn’t always have the need for prosthesis. It wasn’t until an electrocution accident when he lost his left hand in 2011 that his life would be changed forever and as a result, he would need a prosthetic hand.

Two years after the accident, the question wasn’t “if” Garcia would return to the kitchen, it was a question of “when” he would return to the kitchen.

In contrast to the prosthetics that are commonly used today, Garcia uses a new hand that was designed by Touch Bionics and outfitted by Advanced Arm Dynamics. Garcia’s prosthetic hand is motorized, wireless, uses to Bluetooth, can grip 25 different ways and is controlled by the muscles in his forearm.

This new prosthetic is made from carbon fiber and silicone and can last an entire day on one charge, which is perfect for a busy chef like Garcia.

Now known as the ‘Bionic Chef”, Garcia doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon. In fact, he is working on a new TV cooking show Active Ingredient that he was working on even before the accident. The show will incorporate his experiences through the eyes of a chef travelling the world, culinary training and the promotion of a healthy and active lifestyle and positive attitude toward food and life.

Copyright Davison 2013

Sources:

• Gizmodo.com
• Latino Fox News

The post The Bionic Chef: Whipping Up a Recipe of Perseverance appeared first on Davison.

Could you imagine a screen that would allow you to reach out and touch something on the other side? Well, think no further; scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) have evidently invented a prototype of a screen that will allow users to virtually reach out and touch things on the other side. The MIT Media Lab’s Tangible Media Group unveiled the invention and dubbed it the “inFORM.”

The inFORM is equipped with a screen that utilizes a Dynamic Shape Display and turns 3D data from the user into real time physical representations, all from a remote location.

The grid that is used in this prototype is powered by an elaborate system of computer-controlled linkages and actuators that are located under the table. Additionally, there is an overhead Kinect and projector that delivers data on user motion into the system while casting visual feedback onto the table.

This invention could change the way that people work, due to the fact that the person on the other end of the video conference will have a strong sense of presence and the ability to have a physical interaction, while not actually being in the room.

Here is a video that should give you a better understanding of how this invention works:

Although there hasn’t been any word of when this invention will be available for use by Americans all over the country, we are definitely looking forward to the day in which this invention finds its way to homes everywhere.

To hopefully speed up the process of actually selling this product to people, researchers continue to work on the inFORM to increase the resolution of the device, and to try and make the device more portable, which would allow people with technical knowledge to work around the world and still leave their mark.

Only time and technology will tell when this interactive invention will hit the market, but we definitely are looking forward to seeing what happens next!

Copyright Davison 2013

Sources:

http://gothamist.com/2013/11/14/new_mit_invention_lets_you_move_obj.php

http://www.newsy.com/videos/mit-invention-allows-you-to-reach-through-screen-and-touch-things/

Media:

http://www.thenerdmachine.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/MITinvention.jpg

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fwJ1TDQvmW8

The post Reaching Out at the Future appeared first on Davison.

That’s right; a drone might be delivering the small packages that you purchased from Amazon right to your doorstep.
Although this project idea still needs to go through extra safety testing and, of course, receive federal approval, Bezos thinks that Amazon “Prime Air” could be up and running within four to five years.

The company recently posted a video to their website that shows a prototype drone.  The body of this device is about the size of a flat-screen monitor and is attached to eight small helicopter rotors that sit on four tall legs.

The claws that are located underneath the “octopeter” will latch onto a standard-sized plastic bucket that will roll down a conveyer belt at Amazon’s distribution center; and, inside the bucket is the order.

The drone will work in a manner that when it lifts off into the air, it will be like a giant mechanical insect that will deliver the package in just 30 minutes after clicking the “pay” button on their site.

The prototype should be able to carry packages up to five pounds, which covers 86 percent of the items that Amazon delivers.

Aside from the creative minds at Amazon hammering out other details regarding the creation of this prototype, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) also is currently hard at work ironing out the rules for use of these unmanned aerial vehicles.

The timeline for this project may be sooner than Bezos thought. The FAA’s rules could be in place by 2015 and Amazon Prime Air drones would be ready for takeoff.

Can you imagine Cyber Monday in 2015? It is without a doubt that the fleet of drones would be out in full force!

If you can’t imagine these drones in the air, here is a little sneak peek of what Amazon Prime Air will offer consumers:

Copyright Davison 2013

Sources:

http://news.yahoo.com/amazon-unveils-futuristic-mini-drone-delivery-plan-021532540.html

Media:

http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/2013/12/01/amazon-bezos-drone-delivery/3799021/

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98BIu9dpwHU

The post It’s a Bird, It’s a Plane, It’s… an Amazon Delivery? appeared first on Davison.

From helmets, to tanks to robotic donkeys, the United States military is constantly refining prototypes in order to make the best possible product.

Let’s take a look at three of the most recent military prototypes!

Modular helmets- After a study discovered that 72 percent of all soldiers’ head injuries occurred to the face, officials were forced to determine what equipment would provide the best protection.

In September, the United States Army released two new helmet prototypes. These prototypes were created to determine which modular design would work best to provide crew members with only one helmet versus the two that they currently use.

Prior to this prototype, crew members had to keep two helmets- the Combat Vehicle Crewman helmet and the Army Combat Helmet. The prototype will allow them to carry only one by altering the helmet for both mounted and dismounted soldiers.

In October of this year, Army leaders unveiled the helmets that came out of the Helmet Electronics and Display System-Upgradeable Protection program, which was a four year development effort that was led by Natick Soldier Research, Development and Engineering Center.

This modular variation of the current head gear offers soldiers face-protective 9mm plating and Heads Up Display that is powered by an Android phone and will provide the soldier with much better protection. The helmet will be equipped with better, more useful features than the current models.

84-ton tank- Heavy is an understatement. The U.S. Army’s recent prototype for a new tank, the Ground Combat Vehicle weighs in at 84 tons, more than twice as much as it predecessor, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle. This new prototype will carry a nine-man squad into combat versus the previous six-man squad. The Ground Combat Vehicle will be able to withstand an improvised explosive device (IED), a threat that didn’t exist when the Bradley was deployed in the early 1980s.

What is the reasoning behind a tank this heavy? The massive size of this tank is necessary to protect the soldiers inside of the vehicle and increase their chances of survival if an explosion were to occur. The overall size and weight of this tank offers adequate space that will, in turn, allow the soldiers to wear armor while seated. The extra space in the tank also will help distribute pressure from a potential blast, lessening its impact.

The future of this tank is still uncertain; however, there are tentative plans to manufacture a tank that will weigh in at 84 tons.

Robotic Donkey- Boston Dynamics invented the record-breaking Cheetah robot and the jumping sand flea robot; now, this innovative engineering company is at it again with their prototype of the LS3, or Legged Squad Support System, in the form of a futuristic donkey.

This prototype is designed to look and act as a pack-mule for soldiers and marines on the march. This large, four-legged unmanned robot is expected to be able to carry as much as 400 pounds, supply power to charge radios and handheld devices, follow soldiers through rough terrain and interact with the soldiers like a real, trained animal.

The initial robot’s agility and perceptiveness was first demonstrated back in early 2012; however, the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), the U.S. military’s research arm, has recently decided to focus on the technology with a new $10 million investment.

The new version of the LS3 prototype is scheduled to be completed on March 31, 2015.

These prototypes are an integral step in the development process of inventing weapons and protection that will guard our soldiers and ensure their safety as they protect and serve our country all around the world. Only time will tell if these three inventions will move from the prototype stage to the manufacturing stage.

Copyright Davison 2013

Sources:

http://kitup.military.com/2013/09/army-unveils-modular-helmet-prototypes.html

http://sploid.gizmodo.com/check-out-this-futuristic-new-soldier-helmet-discovered-1451682335

http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2013-02/why-armys-new-tank-so-heavy

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/24/boston-dynamics-ls3_n_3984910.html

Media:

http://kitup.military.com/2013/09/army-unveils-modular-helmet-prototypes.html

http://www.popsci.com.au/technology/military/the-u-s-army-s-new-84-ton-tank-is-nearly-ied-proof

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/24/boston-dynamics-ls3_n_3984910.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xY42w1w0TWk

The post These Prototypes Just Got their Marching Orders appeared first on Davison.

However, there are those games that remain as classics in the gaming world. Video games, just like any other inventions, go through a series of trial and error in the prototype phase, in order to perfect the final product.

Let’s take a look at what could have been for three notable video games!

Could you imagine a gun-wielding Super Mario? Well, this was almost a reality when the creators of Super Mario Bros. produced their first prototype of the game.

So, what was the original prototype like? For starters, Mario was going to carry guns and shoot his enemies. Additionally, Mario was going to use his fists and feet as weapons by punching and kicking his enemies when he was empty-handed.

But these were only just ideas in the first prototype.  After all, the Mario that we all know and love now navigates his way through each level and beats his enemies by jumping on or over things; a very less violent approach to the original prototype.

How about an entire video game revolving around Jean Claude Van Damme; that idea may or may not sound like an entertaining game. But, when the video game engineers created the first prototype of Mortal Kombat, they initially thought about a game solely about Jean Claude Van Damme.

In the initial prototype, Van Damme would fight an array of digitized opponents. However, the original design of the game fell flat because the license to use Van Damme’s name and likeness was too expensive at the time for Midway Games.

Although they couldn’t obtain the rights to Van Damme’s name and likeness, they kept the photorealistic look that would remind people of a Van Damme movie.

Since the initial idea failed, it was time to employ plan B; and, this plan stuck. Mortal Kombat was then turned into a fighting game filled with mild violence, where the characters would fight undead ninjas, lightning gods and cyborgs. The game soon became a hit; however, it begs the question, did one of the most influential games ever created come to be because the company didn’t want to spend a lot of money on it? That question remains unanswered; but, we can confidently say that Mortal Kombat is one classic that gamers definitely enjoyed.

Let’s take a look at a more recent game, Halo. For many people, Halo was the main reason that they purchased their Xbox in the first place. But, the game that you know today that has sold over 40 million copies was initially intended to be a real-time strategy game, much like StarCraft or Age of Empires. The game also was being developed for Apple and not Microsoft.

Additionally, Halo was intended to be a real-time strategy game where the gamer would be looking at the action from an aerial view, while controlling their troops, almost the exact opposite of the game we know today.

The game continued to evolve to the point where there was almost an option to ride dinosaurs. Yes, dinosaurs; let that one sink in. It wasn’t until Microsoft purchased the developer, Bungie, before they gained Halo as their flagship Xbox title and it finally became a first-person shooter game. Eventually, Halo revolutionized the shooting game genre, albeit after many different ideas in the prototype stage.

As you can see, even the most notable games went through a series of trial and error in the prototype stage in order to fine tune their concepts. But if Super Mario was supposed to be a gun-carrying enemy killer and Mortal Kombat was going to be a Jean Claude Van Damme game, we can only imagine what other classic games could have been while in the prototype stage!

Copyright Davison 2013

Sources:

http://www.g4tv.com/thefeed/blog/post/717151/nugget-from-the-net-the-early-prototypes-of-your-favorite-games-were-insane/

http://www.cracked.com/article_19457_6-baffling-early-prototypes-your-favorite-video-games.html

Pictures:

http://digitaldeconstruction.com/scaredy-cat-jumps-time-super-mario-bros-sound-effects-played/#.UoodS8Skpd0

http://es.mortalkombat.wikia.com/wiki/Video_Juegos

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Halo:_Combat_Evolved

The post What Could Have Been: Early Video Game Prototypes appeared first on Davison.

Over the years, Apple fans have seen various iPhone prototypes appear on the internet; and, for the most part, they have been similar to the first iPhone that was released in 2007 and its later models.

However, a few weeks ago, we talked about the importance of prototypes in the inventing process. For Apple especially, prototypes play an integral role in creating the best product on the market. A prototype of the first-generation iPhone was recently released, and we couldn’t imagine if this product had actually gone to the production stage! When we heard about this prototype, we wanted to explore the origin of the first-generation iPhone.

So, how did the original iPhone go from this?

To this?

Well, for starters, before the world was introduced to the first generation iPhone in 2007, the original Apple design of the first iPhone was two inches thick with a 5”x7” inch screen. This size is much like the iPad Minis that we see today!

Steve Jobs, the late Apple co-founder, revealed, in 2010, that his company had actually started work on a tablet before it eventually became the iPhone. The initial prototype included a large display screen that suggested this device may have actually been intended as a tablet-style device.

Jobs later said that he had the idea of having a glass, multi-touch display that would allow users to type with their fingers. Soon after Jobs made the request, his team came back with a prototype equipped with the multi-touch technology.

However, despite receiving the prototype, Jobs and the rest of the company decided that it wasn’t the right time to continue the development process for a tablet. Nonetheless, the creativity and innovation for a new product did not stop there. The technology that they had developed in the prototyping process, in particular, the touchscreen scrolling, prompted the company to build a smartphone. This smartphone would become the first-generation iPhone.

As consumers, sometimes we don’t realize that companies go through a series of trial and error when creating prototypes. So, the next time you buy an Apple product or any product for that matter, let your mind imagine what that product may have looked like in the prototype stage. Because after seeing what could have been with the first generation iPhone, anything is possible!

Copyright Davison 2013

Sources:

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2291943/See-iPhone-prototype-The-Apple-design-2-inches-huge-5-x7-screen.html

http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/03/11/newly-revealed-early-apple-iphone-prototype-had-massive-5×7-inch-display

Images:

http://appleinsider.com/articles/13/03/11/newly-revealed-early-apple-iphone-prototype-had-massive-5×7-inch-display

http://www.theverge.com/products/iphone/37

The post The First Generation Prototype appeared first on Davison.

On October 8, we wrote a blog about Elon Musk’s idea of the Hyperloop, a solar-powered means of transportation that will get passengers from Los Angeles to San Francisco in less than 30 minutes, due to its hypothetical speeds that are greater than 600 mph.

It has been said that the prototype of Elon Musk’s Hyperloop will be ready by 2015. This announcement is only two years after Musk first revealed his idea for a means of transportation between cities, via pods that accelerated to near-supersonic speeds.

To meet this tentative deadline, “Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Inc.” has been created and will lead the charge.

An ex-SpaceX employee, Marco Villa, will be running the efforts, alongside Patricia Galloway, who worked as the CEO of a management consulting firm and also presided over the American Society of Civil Engineers, along with receiving many other high honors. Both Villa and Galloway will be backed by JumpStarterFund, which is a lot like a Kickstarter for startups and is based in California.

These leadership decisions were made in August 2013; the rest of the crew necessary to reach the 2015 deadline have yet to be filled. Applications continue to pour in for potential ‘Hyperloopers’ as they are called. People from the U.S., Europe and Asia are vying for these positions to not only be part of the monumental project; but, they will receive stock options for contributing part-time or full-time work as well.

Marco Villa spoke to the projected timeline with NBC News. “Our goal is by the end of 2015 [to have] one or more prototypes available. There are certain [concerns] you can only retire after doing testing,” he said.

Villa further explained that a wind-tunnel model, a life-scale version and a prototype that’s smaller than the actual Hyperloop, can be expected.

With Hyperloop Transportation Technologies Inc. in full force and two experienced people heading the push, other companies are beginning to get involved in the effort. For instance, Ansys, an engineering simulations software developer, has released a feasibility study on whether or not the Hyperloop could even be built. Another company, GloCal, specializes in advanced materials and has agreed to share its program that is affiliated with UCLA to investigate the urban planning aspect of the Hyperloop. GloCal would take a look at where the stations should be located in the two cities.

Additionally, GloCal expects to have a white paper completed by the end of March 2014 that answers all of the questions about whether or not the project is feasible.

The first demo is slated for early 2015.

Shockingly enough, with all of the work that is being poured into this project, the Hyperloop is still a startup and Villa explains that no one is getting paid at the moment. However, everyone that is participating will get stock options in exchange for their contributions.

Will 2015 be the year of the Hyperloop prototype? Although we don’t have the answer to this question just yet, we will definitely be on Hyperloop watch!

Copyright Davison 2013

Sources:

http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/hyperloop-set-motion-prototype-design-scheduled-june-2014/story?id=20738946

http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/startup-sets-sights-rapid-transit-hyperloop-prototype-2015-8C11502210

Images:

http://www.businessinsider.com/hyperloop-transport-system-being-built-2013-7

http://www.geeksugar.com/Hyperloop-Elon-Musk-Announcement-31124420

The post The Hyperloop Prototype Plans Have Been Set into Motion appeared first on Davison.