Results of our ‘Invent it!’ campaign

16/11/10

To celebrate Innovation Day at the Library (as part of Global Entrepreneurship Week), we’re announcing the results of our ‘Invent it!’ campaign.

We asked the general public: what would you like to see an invention for? What problems do you think could be solved through a new product?

We had hundreds of responses online via Facebook and Twitter and in the 'Inventing the 21st Century' exhibition. Many thanks to all of you that took part and to our partners: BusinessZone.co.uk, Real Business and Smarta.

Our Inventor in Residence's favourite ideas

We asked our Inventor in Residence, Mark Sheahan, to pick out some of the highlights:

“I'd like to see a torch which puts out a black beam of 'negative light' (if that's the right expression). It would be fun to 'shine' shadows at things.”

“An adaptor that works for all mobile phones.”

“E-mail receipts rather than paper ones in shops.”

“A pen that can make even the scruffiest of handwriting legible.”

“An invention to keep your body at a constant temperature through the night when in bed.”

“Instant clearing in the banking system.”

“A shoe that you can rebuild with the bits that wear out.”

“I think someone should try inventing high-tech stuff without computer chips - imagine if we'd never come up with the computer chip - the world would be totally different. I'd like to know what would have been invented.”

“I'd like to see one electronic key that can by synced to work with everything needed, therefore eliminating the need for bulky keys.”

“Clothes that change their properties if the weather changes.”