Things to note:

• First, they desire to innovate and make a better machine that worked in a new, creative way to empower us.
• Second, they used their observational ability to identify opportunities for improvement over the existing technology on the market.
• Third, they worked hard to design, prototype, build, test and re-do it again and again to improve their innovation regardless of probable timeline and financial pressures to push out the innovative product.
• Fourth, they aligned themselves with good storytellers who not only knew how to capture our imagination, but send shivers up our spine by combining powerful, beautiful, and aesthetically pleasing, moving imagery. Additionally, they chose a song that would remind us of our fondest childhood memory of when our imaginations thrived.
• Lastly, they even chose wonderful musicians who innovated the Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory song.

Thanks to all of the creative people who collaborated to bring these creations to life. See below and enjoy the show!

https://youtube.com/watch?v=BzMLA8YIgG0

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Have you tried origami? Masterfully folding paper into animals and natural objects is a fascinating and stimulating art form gifted to us by Japanese culture. Intricate designs can be made from a single square of paper and a series of delicate folds and sculpting. There’s the iconic paper crane, the Kawasaki rose, and of course, the V8 engine…

That’s right! Someone has constructed a functional V8 engine out of origami paper, albeit with tape and cutlines, traditionally discouraged in the art of origami. This paper eight-cylinder engine has moving pistons and a spinning crankshaft. It’s an impressive and tedious design that surely required great skill and patience.

Check it out! What fascinating projects have you been working on?

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The Hyperloop, a concept first developed in 2013, is a vacuum tube that would transport passengers faster than the speed of sound, at approximately 760mph, between cities. Startup HTT went to work securing talent and investments from the likes of NASA, Boeing, SpaceX, and Tesla to launch the project. Construction costs are set so low that the Hyperloop will cost less than California’s similar plan for a high-speed rail system traveling at 220mph.

A 5-mile test track is currently in the works for Quay Valley, California, a proposed solar-powered concept city of 75,000 residents that will use the Hyperloop as primary transportation. Residents would be able to travel the length of the city in only 80 seconds. Analysis and optimization of the concept will continue through 2017, and HTT expects to transport passengers as soon as 2018.

The ingenuity doesn’t end there. Plans for Hyperloop include augmented windows that display Hollywood-inspired environments, like Jurassic Park, in addition to digital advertising that would monetize the system.

The Hyperloop could radically alter the concept of commuting, and soon. Keep an eye on the technology of the future! Can you imagine traveling to work in a human vacuum?

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The inventor is largely a jack of all trades. It’s important to keep a pulse on emerging perspectives, developments, and movements across industries. Understanding problems in existing technologies, identifying trends, and reading extensively can all add texture to the creative brainstorming process.

Here are some developments I am following in the world of 3D printing.

The First 3D Printed Bridge

Just last week, 3D printing firm MX3D began construction on the world’s first 3D printed steel bridge, which will span a city canal in the famous Red Light District. This is a significant advance in the 3D printing industry—until recently, the technology to print large structures using metal alloys in mid-air did not exist. The project will take three to four months for completion.

Researchers Design Super Efficient 3D Printed Battery

A team of researchers from the Manchester Metropolitan University has recently received a grant to begin three years of work on a project to create 3D printed batteries with highly conductive graphene inks. These sustainable batteries and super capacitors will have increased storage and longer life spans, a critical component to clean energy.

Consumer Builds 3D Printed Railgun

An independent inventor has built a 3D printed, handheld railgun capable of launching graphite projectiles at up to 560MPH. The gun uses parallel electrodes to fire a bullet with over 1,800 joules of energy. This is a particularly important development as discussions on consumer weapons and 3D printing opportunities gain momentum. As 3D printing technologies become widely available to consumers, manufacturers and lawmakers are scrambling to establish boundaries and standards.

From massive architectural feats to green technologies to possible threats—3D printing will affect change, introduce new challenges, and offer once impossible solutions in every facet of our lives. Developments emerge daily, and the world is watching.

Image Source

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Additionally, we made the nominee list in both the Overall Excellence and Sustainability categories. Inventionland was deemed as one of the region’s “best manufacturing firms.”

We were honored with other nominees at the 11th annual Awards program on December 4 at the Omni William Penn Hotel in Pittsburgh. We’re excited to represent the city and thankful for the recognition. Congratulations to all who contribute to our creative design facility!

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I am very excited to announce that I have been recognized by Rotary International, a service organization that works to bring together professional leaders in an effort to provide high ethical standards and humanitarian services around the world.

Rotary International has recently named me a Paul Harris Fellow, “in appreciation of tangible and significant assistance given for the furtherance of better understanding and friendly relationship among peoples of the world.”

I am humbled to be honored by this prestigious organization, which continues to affect change, “uniting for the common good” across the world. Thank you!

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