Some inventions are so common that it's difficult to imagine they started as an idea written on paper and then a patent application submitted to the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The ballpoint pen, the computer mouse, and the microwave oven-these are just a few examples of great ideas that became essential products we now take for granted.
Nevertheless, of the 520,277 applications that inventors filed with USPTO in 2010, chances are that not even half will be granted patents, and far fewer will become commercial successes. In that spirit, here are three of the technological advances:
Mind Control Helmet
The helmet is equipped with the trans cranial pulsed ultrasound(经颅脉冲超声) technology, which delivers high-frequency sound waves to specific regions of the brain. Under the influence of these sound waves, neurons(神经元) send impulses(脉冲) to their targets, taking control over them.
Body Armor with Flashlight and Camera/Phone Charger
The flexible arm, which is armored with Kevlar and hard plastic, contains a rechargeable battery pack that powers a special device built into the arm's artificial skin. It is also equipped with a bright LED flashlight, an HD camera capable of sending pictures, and a charging slot into which a phone apparently fits nicely.
Robot That Eats Mice and Insects
The robot would chase and eat mice and insects, and then digest their bodies to produce its own power. There are five different concepts, including the mousetrap coffee table robot, which is designed to attract careless insects onto its surface, which contains a trap door set off by motion sensors. Victims trapped by the device would be chemically separated and fed to a microbial fuel cell. A light on the side of the device would inform the owner of how much energy is being produced.
These inventions push the boundaries of innovation, yet they seem unlikely to gain widespread acceptance.
