An Ancient Earthquake Detector
Today, seismologists use sensitive equipment to record tectonic movements deep within the earth and analyze this data to predict earthquakes. Although seismometers are becoming more advanced each year, accurately predicting earthquakes is still an inexact science. More than 2,000 years ago, however, an ancient Chinese inventor, Zhang Heng, made the world’s first seismoscope which proved to be incredibly accurate. Called the Houfeng Didong Yi, Zhang Heng’s seismoscope was made in the shape of ajar with eight tubes extended from a circle of dragon heads on the exterior of the jar. When the device detected an earthquake, a small ball fell out of one of the dragon’s mouths and into the mouth of a toad figure affixed to the base of the jar. The toad indicated the direction the seismic wave was traveling.
An Early Motorised Scooter
The Autoped was an early vision of today's scooters. This was a personal transport system originally developed in 1915. It boasted a 155cc air-cooled engine and a top speed of 20 mph. This scooter was well ahead of its time and included some neat design features that wouldn't look out of place on a similar modern device. It came with both head and tail lamps, a horn and even a toolbox. It was also possible to fold the steering column down to make it easier to store.
The Autoped might well have come about as a necessity due to wartime fuel rationing but it wouldn't catch on at the time - not something that can be said now. Another design well ahead of its time.
18 Year Old Inventor, H. Day, Wearing Headphones Attached To A Wireless Device Under His Top Hat, May 1922
Vending Machines
Today’s vending machines are typically stocked with unhealthy snack options, like candy bars, sodas, and chips. The first vending machines, however, dispensed a product that was good for your soul. These vending machines from the 1st century dispensed holy water. Hero of Alexandria, a Greek engineer, mathematician, and inventor built a box with a series of levers. When the user inserted a coin, it triggered the levers to open a valve and pour out a small amount of holy water.
The Microcar: Great For Small People And NYC Parking, Horrible In Any Other Situation
Piano Especially Designed For People Who Are Confined To Bed. Great-Brittain, 1935
A Remote-Controlled Lawnmower
Why It's Called "Moving Up" In The Company. Electric Elevator Desks In Prague, 1937
Wireless Electricity
You know how we get radio, cell service, wi-fi, and television from signals that are broadcast through the air? Back in the early 1900s, genius inventor Nikola Tesla envisioned a system that would transmit electricity wirelessly through the air … free for anyone to use. He did more than just envision it. He conducted experiments and built a prototype to demonstrate the feasibility of his plan. Tesla’s Wardenclyffe Tower, located in Shoreham, New York, was supposed to provide free, wireless electricity, however Tesla ran out of money. He was unable to secure funds to bring his idea to fruition.
An Experimental Tracked Air Cushion Vehicle
In the mid-1960s to the late years of the 1970s, French engineers were looking to create new transportation machines that included the Aérotrain, an experimental Tracked Air Cushion Vehicle. This machine was essentially a hovertrain and a variation of the maglev train design. It was designed to ride on an air cushion above the track and thereby avoid all resistance in order to reach unprecedented top speeds. In 1969, a rocket-equipped prototype achieved a record speed of 262 mph.
The design faced numerous challenges not least of which was the need for elevated guideways wherever the train was set to travel. Sudden changes in wind pressure could also cause problems. The project was eventually scrapped due to a lack of funds.
Revolving Book Case, From Page 202 Of History And Description Of The Crystal Palace And The Exhibition Of The World's Industry In 1851
This piece of furniture certainly looks interesting. However, an upright bookshelf could fit the same number of books, take up much less space, and not require muscles to operate. Presumably, the appeal of a revolving book case is its novelty and design, in which case this one fits the bill.
Ski-Sailing - A New Sport Invented In Austria, Demonstrated In St. Moritz, Switzerland
Television Goggles
In 1963, avid inventor and tech enthusiast Hugo Gernsback was photographed by Life Magazine showing off his "teleyeglasses" - a precursor to modern head-mounted displays.
Apparently, the idea of television eyeglasses came to the inventor in 1936, but it wasn't until the 1960s that advancements in tech made his vision possible. The television goggles used small cathode-ray tubes for the display and included a separate screen for each eye, much like modern VR headsets. The large antenna made this device look alien-like and it was certainly well before its time.
Parachute
Leonardo da Vinci sketched a parachute design in the margin of his sketch book with the following text:
If a man is provided with a length of gummed linen cloth with a length of 12 yards on each side and 12 yards high, he can jump from any great height whatsoever without injury.
In 1617, the first successful parachute jump was made from a tower in Venice.
Plastic Face Protection From Snowstorms. Canada, Montreal, 1939
Roman Concrete
Roman concrete, or opus caementicium, incorporated volcanic ash, making it incredibly durable. Structures like the Pantheon and aqueducts stand as testaments to its strength.
A Working Replica Of The First Practical Electric Car From 1881
Archimedes’ Screw
Designed by Archimedes, this device lifted water for irrigation. Its simple yet effective mechanism is still used in modern engineering for moving water and materials.
Housewife Doing Laundry Using The First Electric Washing Machine - Eatonville Wa C. 1910
Smell-O-Vision
To enhance TV watching and create a more immersive experience for viewers, television manufacturers of the early 1960s dabbled in Smell-O-Vision. As the name implies, Smell-O-Vision sought to synchronize specific scents to the content being displayed on the screen. While Smell-O-Vision generated interest and curiosity, it faced too many challenges to make it marketable. TV sets had to come fully stocked with a wide range of scents. Customers complained that smells lingered or caused allergic reactions. And some were, in the words of Spongebob Squarepants, “smelly smells that smells smelly.”
1989 Buick Riviera
A few years ago I had an 89 Buick Riviera with a touchscreen computer. You could monitor fluid levels, have it greet you on your birthday, adjust the radio station, all kinds of stuff. It wasn't perfect, but the green text on the black screen was really cool. I've never had a car before or since that had a built-in computer.
La Decuplette, Bicycle For Multiple People, 1898
The Antikythera Mechanism
In 1901, sponge divers found a strange device off the coast of the Greek island of Antikythera in the Aegean Sea. The device is a wooden box with a complex system of gears and a hand crank. Analysis on the device showed that it dates back to the 1st or 2nd centuries BCE. As out-of-place as it seems, the Antikythera Mechanism is an ancient analogue computer that predates Apple Computers by centuries. Most experts believe that the Antikythera Mechanism was used to predict astronomical positions, like eclipses.
• Don't insult other visitors. Offensive comments will be deleted without warning.
• Comments are accepted in English only.
• No swearing words in comments, otherwise such comments will be censored.
• Your nickname and avatar are randomly selected. If you don't post comments for 7 days, they both are reset.
• To choose another avatar, click the ‘Random avatar’ link.
