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Coolest Inventions
of 2002
Some are goofy. Some could rock our world. Take a look at nifty new
ideas!
Throughout history,
inventors' ideas have transformed the way we live. Imagine a world
without telephones, televisions, or computers! Every year, inventive
minds dream up gadgets and gizmos that make our lives easier—or at
least a lot more fun. This year is no exception. The editors of TIME
magazine combed through hundreds of new products and selected only
the very best for a roundup of the year's coolest inventions. Here
are some of the year's biggest new ideas.
Model Car
What will the car of the future look like? This one has no engine.
It doesn't need gasoline. There isn't even a steering wheel. Best of
all, it doesn't pollute the air!
The controls for the
Hy-wire car were inspired by aircraft cockpits, but driving it seems
more like playing a video game. The car has a small color screen and
two hand grips in place of a steering wheel. To drive, just grab the
grips and twist right to go faster. Move the grips up or down to
turn left or right. Squeeze them to stop.
Unlike today's cars,
this futuristic auto doesn't give off any harmful gases into the
air. It is powered by chemical reactions between oxygen and water.
The only thing this car releases is water vapor.
Each car can have
many different looks. The car has a basic platform that fits with
different "bodies." Imagine: You could switch from having a minivan
on the weekends to having a sports car during the week.
General Motors says
the Hy-wire could be on the road by 2010—just in time for you to
drive!
Three-Wheeler
This isn't your kid brother's tricycle! The Trikke (pronounced "trike")
is made at the same Chinese factory that builds Razor scooters. Its
three wheels may look silly, but they make the Trikke more stable
than the Razor. After pushing off with one foot, the rider uses the
side-to-side rocking motion used by in-line skaters to keep it
going. The Trikke sells for $200 to $300.
Bowwow!
Wow!
Wow! Wonder what your dog is really thinking? Takara, a Japanese
toymaker, claims it can translate barking into words with its new
gadget, Bowlingual. A microphone attaches to a dog's collar, and a
receiver "translates" his yelps and growls into phrases like "I
can't stand it," "How boring," and "I'm lonely." How does it work?
Animal experts collected and interpreted dog noises. When a dog
barks, the sound is matched to the ones translated earlier. For now,
the translator is available only in Japan. That's ruff.
A Handy
Mike
At a big meeting? Your turn to speak? Just catch the microphone! The
Sputmik is a wireless microphone that is well-padded, so you can
just toss it overhead like a beachball to the next speaker. Not yet
for sale, the gadget comes from Design Continuum and the
Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Fly Right
The Power Air Surfer is not a plain plane. It's a new
radio-controlled toy airplane from Hasbro that's almost impossible
to crash. Its two 32-inch wings and double propellers make it
superstable, even when floating down from 100 feet high. Warning to
kid pilots: This craft has a rather high-flying price—$75.
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What will the
"model car" look like?
