Technology has always been an epitome of human inquisitiveness, creativity and in some cases of absolute stupidity. Although modern gadgets surprise us almost each time they are incredibly streamlined and innovative, the trail that took place on the way to the current technologies consists of countless experiments some of which are brilliant whereas some are simply insane. History is evidenced of gadgets invented by the inventors that still leave us scratching and rubbing our heads in disbelief. Others were just real ahead of their times and others were just creatures of offbeat geniuses. In this post we will look into the world of strange but factual inventions of the past-crazy gadgets that were made real.
Jackets in the air: Fashion and frequencies The Radio Hat: Fashion Meets Frequencies
Decades ago in 1940s, American inventor Victor Hoeflich came up with a gadget that was able to combine fashion with function- the Radio Hat. This is a handheld radio that was inserted in a wide brimmed hat thereby enabling people to listen to their favorite radio stations as they took a walk in the city or sat in a park. The concept sounds too futuristic at the time but it was held in a way that there is little to like. The big antenna was protruding out of the hat and this was a very awkward thing. It received a little free publicity and one-time buyers but it never commercialized. Nevertheless, it was way ahead of its time that established the foundation of wearable technology.
A Cold City Solution: Baby Cage
The baby cage was one of the most jaw-dropping gadget in the early 20 th century. The cages were made up of a grid of wires of the type used to make wire cages; they were used by city residents who had no outside space to place a cage in; they could be placed on the outside of windows of apartments which happened to be several stories up. This was aimed at enabling the exposure of infants to sunlight and fresh air which was considered to be very essential to health. This gadget was first patented in 1922 and even was recommended by the authorities of health in London in the 30s of the previous century, nowadays this gadget is a truly dangerous device. The photos of a baby hanging in a cage above a busy road side is more dystopian than developmental but this was actually a remedy to space starved parents.
The Red Powered Dryer
Early in the 20 th century there was no widespread use of electricity and therefore customers in the salon had to survive with innovative methods. Next came the pedal-powered hair dryer a machine which needed someone to keep pumping a bicycle type of mechanism in order to produce hot air through which styling could be done. This device was used just like a bellows through which hot air was pushed to a tube leading to the hood that enclosed the head of the client. Being very labor-intensive and loud, it was still a useful workaround of its era and an example of the necessity being a mother of invention, which applied even in a peculiar case.
Clocky Alarm: Runaway wake up call
Now it is time to skip to the early 2000s and the Clocky alarm clock which came up with a wacky but functional way to get around obsessive snoozers. Clocky is a robot alarm clock wheeled by a student in the MIT, Gauri Nanda to jump off the nightstand and roll away when it becomes audible. And in case, you wish to switch it off, you will need to run after it. On the one hand, this is an excellent idea to have a laugh, but on the other, a range of the users woke up in the morning with a hangover under the furniture, totally groggy. Nevertheless, it tackled an actual issue and gained high recognition across the globe so it is among the most successful bizarre inventions of the modern times.
The revolver camera: say cheese… Or Else
The Japanese company Doryu came out with such gadget in 1938 which unites two such enthusiastic hobbies as photography and firearm design the Doryu 2-16 camera, perfectly resembling a handgun. Apparently, it was designed to be used in undercover police operations and it was possible to load it with the 16mm film rather than bullets. With the trigger, an officer would get a chance to take photos secretly. Never mass-produced and only a couple of prototypes being still extant today, the revolver camera is an intriguing survivor of the history of espionage. Even its appearance in our modern world creates shivers since it looks oddly similar to a weapon that takes the border between security and observation.
The Isolator Helmet: It Sure is a Great Thing When the Productivity Goes Too Far
Hugo Gernsback (American inventor) in 1925 presented the Isolator Helmet -this was an invention whose main aim was to boost concentration. It resembled a space helmet in terms of vision except that it had tiny holes which could be used to see and completely muffled the urban environment. Constituted by wood, cork, and felt this helmet weighed several pounds and grossly restricted the capacity of the wearer to hear or see anything except within a narrow range. Although this was done so as to bar distractions, extreme sensory deprivation would result in the person feeling dizzy, claustrophobic or even having difficulties breathing. No surprise though, it did not sell commercially, however, it remained as one of the most peculiar productivity devices ever produced.
The Mechanical Horse: The Four Legs War Machine
The British military had an unusual invention during the world war 1, the horse was difficult to control, it was large and heavy and when there was flight; horses were used to transport people and goods in the battlefield. It was called the Pedrail Machine and it came with legs providing the movement of a horse in walking. The aim was to traverse rugged area where tracks could not. Although this idea was good, the machine was very slow, noisy and unreliable (prone to mechanical breakdown). It never engaged actively in combat, however, it served as the source of inspiration on further studies of walking robots and other robotics today used in the space and military activities.
The Smoking Machine-Artificially Addiction Assistance
Prior to the revelation of the adverse effects of smoking, the tobacco sector marketed every and all sorts of strange appliances just to sell more products. The smoking machine is one of such gadgets and was created in the middle of the 20 th century. This machine was developed to give a rehearsal of smoking since the vaporized tobacco was being inhaled without the act of smoking a cigarette. Researchers also used some machines to investigate on smoke inhalation. It resembled a horror movie as the gadget had robotic lungs and glass tubes that mimicked the same breathing patterns of a human being. Ironically it has been many times advertised as the healthy, safer alternative to a gratifying tobacco enjoyment- many decades before any connection with health hazards was exposed to smoking.
The Personal Sauna Suit: Sweat Out By Handy any Time
Succeeding the more cost effective sauna mask comes the Personal Sauna Suit which promises we can now sweat anywhere which is good because I am sick of going to the gym just to have a sweat up.
Fads which include home fitness erupted in the 1960s and 70s. Among the products that saw the light of day as a result of this was the personal sauna suit or the zip up vinyl suit that help people to lose weight by sweating off the pounds without even exercising. They wore these suits when doing any chores or even during leisure and the body heat was trapped to cause excessive sweating. The concept of passive weight loss proved to be tempting but the science of the same proved faulty. The users were exposed to risks of becoming dehydrated and overheated. Although these versions of the concept remain to be used nowadays, the initial ones were similar to alien skin-tight suits something more strange than useful.
Conclusion: The Weird Dark Side of Innovation
An efficient innovation process does not necessarily show a smooth progression. It is ridiculous and crazy most of the time and then becomes brilliant. The strange historical devices teach us that all the great inventions rest on the shoulders of the trial, error, and in some cases, outright bizarre. Such eccentric gadgets may be ridiculed today but these were created by the mind of people who were not afraid to think out of the box. Either they did solve a real problem, or will go down in the annals of technology as a footnote, but they are a very interesting peek into the imagination of earlier generations.
