|
Have you ever dreamed about designing a tool that would
automatically make your bed?
Have you ever thought about motorizing your in-line skates or
designing a swimsuit that dries the instant you get out of the
pool?
If you are curious, creative, and persistent, you may have
what it takes to be the next great inventor.
Chances are, you’ve already invented something. Most young
children invent games, stories and even imaginary friends
(don’t be shy, we all had one). As people get older, many
tend to become more practical – they start to think their
creative ideas are too wacky or weird to be taken seriously.
A good inventor is someone who can strike a balance between
being realistic and being creative. Women have been inventing
things for centuries, but far more men than women become
professional inventors.
In 1809, Mary Dixon Kies invented a process for weaving straw
with silk or thread and became the first U.S. woman to receive
a patent.(Straight from Webster’s Dictionary: A patent is an
exclusive right given to an inventor to manufacture or sell an
invention for a specified number of years.) Between 1809 and
1840, only 19 other U.S. women received patents.
These days, about nine out of every 10 American inventors who
receive patents are male. That means there’s a tremendous need
for inventors who understand problems women face and who can
create products or processes to solve them.
Basic Training
An aspiring inventor should get a well-rounded education. Math
classes will teach you problem-solving skills. Writing skills
will help you express your ideas. History classes will give
you a chance to learn about early inventors. And art or
drafting classes will help you learn to sketch your
inventions.
The National Inventors Hall of Fame and the U.S. Patent and
Trademark Office sponsor summer camps across the country that
offer elementary and middle school-age children the chance to
think the unthinkable and improve their problem-solving
skills.
You can test your inventing skills by writing down a list of
problems you think need to be solved. The problems can be as
simple as pantyhose that get snags and runs. Or they can be
more complex, like medical tests that are too invasive.
Remember that inventions can be completely new products, or
they may be improvements that make existing products and
processes safer, cheaper and faster.
Once you come up with an idea you’d like to develop into an
invention, start drawing blueprints of it, talk to other
people about it and make a list of materials you’ll need to
build it. If your invention is really large, you may want to
build a smaller version so you can test it.
Don’t be disappointed if your first invention doesn’t work.
Most inventors produce hundreds of ideas before they come up
with one that’s worth patenting. A patent doesn’t guarantee
monetary success, but it does prevent others from copying and
selling your invention for up to 20 years. You don’t have to
have a patent to sell your invention, but you need to be
certain you don’t violate anyone else’s patent.
Follow Her Steps
The invention process can take years and you’re likely to face
lots of obstacles along the way, but inventor Randi Altschul
says it’s both rewarding and thrilling to develop a
revolutionary new product. She ought to know.
Randi came up with the idea to develop a disposable cell phone
after being temped to chuck her phone out the car window over
a bad connection. She was frustrated but she knew cell phones
were too expensive to throw away or lose.
That was more than two years ago. Now, thanks to her “conceive
it, believe it, achieve it” attitude, Randi’s Phone-Card-Phone
is scheduled to hit store shelves this fall. The 2X3-inch
phones are super-thin (about the thickness of three credit
cards) and are made from recycled paper products. The phones,
which are good for outgoing calls only, work like phone cards
and provide 60 minutes of calling time for around $10. Rebates
will be offered to encourage recycling.
“When I created it, I knew this was a homerun, but I didn’t
realize it would be a grand-slam homerun,” says Randi, who
lives in Clifton Park, N.J. “At first I thought my main market
would be teen-agers, but now I realize these phones are going
to have broad appeal.”
Randi’s company, Dieceland Technologies, has expanded its
audience to include parents, senior citizens, and people who
can’t afford or don’t want long-term cellular contracts.
A toy and game creator, Randi’s previous inventions include
the Miami Vice Game, Barbie’s 30th Anniversary
Game, and breakfast cereal that comes in the shape of a
monster and dissolves in milk.
“Inventing is not something you can learn,” says Randi, who
comes up with 20 to 30 new product ideas each week. “I think
being an inventor is in the same category as being a great
artist or singer. It’s a gift from God to be able to think
without boundaries.”
Randi says her toy-inventor mentality has been a real asset in
developing the disposable phone.
“Engineers are taught to make things last,” she says. “I’m
used to working with toys that only last for a short period of
time. Kids get them, play with them and then – boom – they’re
gone.”
Keep The
Blueprints Flowing
Randi encourages hopeful inventors stay true to their
creativity.
“There will always be lots of people who tell you something
can’t be done,” she says. “If you approach things the right
way, you may find that those obstacles are actually just
little tests that make your final product better. Being forced
to answer tough questions about your invention will make you
stronger and smarter.”
Randi continues to work on new inventions all the time (she’s
currently developing plans for a disposable laptop computer)
and she says her family has been a huge influence throughout
her career.
“I’m lucky my parents have always provided moral support and
encouragement,” she says. “When you’re starting out as an
inventor, money can be scarce and people start to think you’re
a little crazy to pursue a dream when you could just go get a
job working at the mall.
“Sure, you could do this without your family’s support, but
it’s a little easier if someone loves you and continues to
believe in you during the tough times.”
STARTING POINT
To learn more about becoming an inventor, check out these web
sites:
For games, information about the patent process, and more,
visit the United States Patent and Trademark Office’s kids
pages at http://www.uspto.gov/go/kids/
Patentcafe.com’s kids’ pages include a classroom plan for
learning about the invention process. You can follow the plan
yourself by clicking onto http://www.patentcafe.com/kids/howto.html
The National Inventors Hall of Fame’s web site includes
information for inventors of all ages. You can find the site
at http://www.invent.org/
To learn more about inventors and inventions throughout
history, patents, and inventing contests, visit About.com’s
invention website at http://inventors.about.com/science/inventors/library/weekly/aa073000a.htm |
