Rather than just copying invention ideas, it is important to understand an inventor’s way of thinking. School projects are exciting opportunities, that grant you a chance to explore your creative and inventive side. Inventions and ideas, especially the original ones, go hand in hand.
If you are fishing for invention ideas, you are not going to get ready-made ones here. If I suggest you an invention idea, it wouldn’t be your idea, but mine and it would be my invention! If I do share an invention idea which works and you use it for your school project, it will serve your purpose for now and your work will be over. Even so, the purpose behind holding these school project competitions will be defeated.
The purpose is to make you think on your own and come up with an invention idea which you can bring into reality. So I am not providing you with ready-made invention ideas, for your own good.
However, I will share some tips on how you could come up with ideas and guide you through the process that inspires inventors to come up with inventions. One thing which Plato said was, ‘Necessity is the mother of invention’. So, even though, I do not share invention ideas, I will identify areas which are in need of an invention. That is, I will not give you the solution but I will suggest some problems that need an invention or a solution. So, in a way, I will be indirectly providing you with ideas for school projects. Every need has a seed of invention within it. Identify areas in need of new solutions and you are bound to come up with great inventions.
Interesting Invention Ideas
One of the most prolific inventors in the world, was Thomas Edison, who has 1093 inventions to his name. He started out on his inventing pursuits in school. In fact, he never attended much of school and whatever he needed, he taught himself. That is how inventors are. They think for themselves. Here are some problems which can inspire invention ideas. Read and rack your brains. One tip about selecting a project is to go after problems in your strength areas and interest.
Alternative Energy Sources
This is an area in need of new ideas and inventions. With fossil fuels like petrol, diesel running out, we need to harness the renewable sources of energy like tidal wave, wind energy and solar energy and hydrogen fuel cells. Energy comes in various forms and you could come up with your own ideas like chemically treating bio-waste into fuel tablets. Explore various ways in which you can transfer energy and put it to use elsewhere. Okay, this idea is too ambitious and challenging, but you can try! Even inventions that will help conserve energy can be very helpful. Automatic timers that can switch off lights and other appliances, when there is no use or need for a long time, make for an interesting invention idea. It can go a long way in energy conservation. Another idea is energy generation through the opening and shutting of doors. You will have to create a mechanism that can convert the door pushing action into motive force for dynamo rotor movement, creating electricity in the process. Think about it! Think about how you could channelize renewable energy resources to solve day-to-day energy requirements. How can bio-waster be used to generate energy? Think!
Home Improvement and Solving Problems Around You!
Look at day-to-day problems in your house. How could you make a better door knob? How could you make a better dog sleeve that doesn’t strangle him? Could you come up with a better tooth-brush? How could you make an automated omelet maker? How could you help handicapped people to walk better? What could you do to make your house earthquake-proof? How could you cut down your power use? Just look around keenly and you will start bursting with ideas. When you see some problem, ask yourself how you could solve it or how could you better a solution, already offered.
Conservation Issues
Natural resources like water and its sources are precious. What could you do to save more water during rainfall and improve ground water reserves? Design your own rainwater conservation project. Could you devise a toilet flushing method which wastes less water? Could you do something to save the river in your city from pollution? There are many such conservation issues around, which could use your inventive talents. Open your eyes and look around. Problems are waiting to be solved. Identify problem areas around you and start working on solutions.
It’s not possible to teach anybody how to invent. Even so, there are some characteristics of master inventors like Edison, worth noting, that may help you develop the inventor’s attitude or way of thinking. Firstly, befriend ‘how’, ‘why’ and ‘what if..’, as they are the questions that lead to solutions. Question everything and make doubt your guiding light. Take effort in understanding how nature works and how various technologies function. Think about how you could make something work better. Try to think beyond the obvious, go for out-of-the-box solutions. Think different. Persist, even if the results of your efforts may not amount to much initially. That’s what great inventors did. A mix of insatiable curiosity, dogged determination, persistence, and resourcefulness are classic traits of inventors. Learn to think fundamentally and originally. All the best.
If this article inspires invention ideas, my job will be well done. When students come up with inventions on their own, they grow as thinkers. The thrill, excitement and fun of an original invention is incomparable to anything you might do.