(US Provisional Patent)
Cocoon- A device for storing and sanitizing plastic cards
I filed for an individual US provisional patent with USPTO for one of my inventions, A device for storing and sanitizing plastic cards. Research shows that plastic cards, credit, debit and access cards, contain hundreds of germs per square inch. Some studies have found that these cards may contain more faecal matter than toilet seat. My invention uses a propreitary chemical method to develop various devices that can store and sanitize plastic cards. Laboratory experiments are underway at Cornell University to further develop and extend the concept. I call it 'Cocoon' (Reproducing a few snapshots of the patent below)
(US Provisional Patent)
Yoga SoundMat
This idea won the coveted "Launch Your Idea Challenge 2015" organized by Entrepreneurship@Cornell. Yoga Soundmat is a low-tech solution- a mat-integrated device that records sounds in a Yoga studio for you to play at home while practicing. My association with Yoga dates back to 2009 when my friends and I started a company called Design For Yoga. Having Interacted with hundreds of yogis- teachers and students, I realised that there needs to be a seamless way to connect your studio experience with your at-home practice.
No, a smartphone cannot do that seamlessly. For one, they are not allowed in most of the studios as they cause distraction. There is no way a novice student can practice yoga in the studio and take notes. The 22% churn in Yoga Studio's enrolment is something we may address by adding a continuity to the whole yoga learning experience.
Yoga mats range from $12 to $250 and above and the differentiators typically are material quality, absorption rate, weight, foldability, cleanability and design. Nothing solves the problem that Yoga SoundMat is solving. And the best thing is that every single yogamat can be made into a Yoga SoundMat.
Innovative internet device dongles
I conceptualized 6 innovative designs for portable internet devices (dongles) for MTS. They are currently in the prior art exploration stage of international patenting process. (Partially reproducing below due to confidentiality)
Bathtub Cleaning Apparatus
One of the most interesting projects I managed at Lumium Innovations. It was a patent on an Automatic Bathtub Cleaning Apparatus. I designed the the form and product interaction details with support from product engineers and robotics experts who came up with a proof of concept robotic arm to demonstrate an efficient cleaning action. The design was easy to assemble/ disassemble.
Digital Picture Frame
This design is from 2006, when digital picture frames were very popular in consumer markets across the world. I designed the soft product form and the resistance-based tive touch screen interactions with the product.
A Wireless-enabled Eyewear Device
A great exercise in contextual design and product form, this device was designed to be worn by prison inmates and would allow the authorites to keep a check on their activities within the periphery of the prison. A central control station would be able to monitor the location of each inmate. The clear screen in the device would go black and an alarm would be sounded if the prisoners attempted to cross the limits or take off the device.
The Complete Meal Cooker
A simple yet effective design that separates three cooking zones in a single rice cooker. The dividers in the lid help avoid the aromas in the three parts of the cooker from mixing with each other. Thus you could cook rice, chicken and pulses in the same slow cooker.
Portable Exercise Device
The patent was on a device that could be used by users with different requirements of strengths. While I tenaciously worked out the details of 'strength pellets' to customize the device, the product form was inspired by the visual semantics of human muscoskeletal system.
The Intelligent Key Fob
This patent was around a finger-print reader based key fob that would adjust the seat, heating, mirror, steering angle and music channel settings according to the preferences set by the user. The idea was to customize the vehicle's interiors so that multiple users in a family could use it without the need of adjusting these setting every time.
