Engineers Turned Everyday Problems into Brilliant Inventions

Bright Side

Engineers have a habit of turning tiny annoyances into genius ideas. A dripping faucet, wasted heat, or slow traffic suddenly becomes the spark for a breakthrough. Some of the smartest inventions ever started as simple “there has to be a better way” moments. In this video, we look at everyday problems that pushed engineers to think differently. Once you see them, you’ll wonder why these ideas didn’t exist sooner.  Animation is created by Bright Side.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV  Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Our Social Media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightplanet/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en   Stock materials (photos, footages and other):  https://www.depositphotos.com  https://www.shutterstock.com  https://www.eastnews.ru  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.

Transcript

00:00There are some inventions that make us say, dude, why didn't I come up with this?

00:05And then you have the next question, why don't we have it in my hometown yet?

00:10I'm talking about things like splash-proof toilets, liquid trees, and skyscrapers with slides.

00:18Yep, they're all pretty real, and you're about to fall in love with them.

00:23Have you ever used a public bathroom in the summer in your shorts and sandals and got splashed?

00:30It happens to the best of us, so no worries.

00:32If only there was some solution to this problem.

00:35Perhaps a urinal with a small hole so no liquid goes where it shouldn't.

00:40Looks pretty yucky and painful to me.

00:43An assistant professor at the University of Waterloo, Zhao Penn, and his colleagues came up with a way better solution for this sensitive issue.

00:53Their designs were inspired by physics and dogs.

00:56When a stream of liquid moves on a solid surface at a shallow angle, the splash is reduced, and the smaller the angle, the fewer splashes you'll see.

01:05You can even minimize them to a zero.

01:08And when dogs do their business, they lift their hind legs and do it on the vertical surface of a tree or a wall.

01:14I don't know if they actually care about it, but this does reduce the splash.

01:19Good job, Pluto!

01:21The team invented several models and presented them at the American Physical Society conference, and it was a hit.

01:28The inventors say that all of the models are no splash, but their favorites are the slice of apple and the one that looks like a tall and slender J with a narrow and long opening.

01:38The new urinals aren't just super cool, but also more sustainable.

01:44You won't have to wash the floor with water, chemicals, and human energy after every use, which is a win-win.

01:52Here's another innovative public toilet idea for you, this time from Japan.

01:57They have completely transparent walls, which means, yes, you can see everything that's going on inside, from the toilet itself to the hand wash sink.

02:06It sounds pretty creepy, but the idea was actually to create a safe restroom in the park.

02:13Visitors can see if there's someone hiding inside before entering, and also check if the toilet is clean before entering.

02:20When you go inside and lock the door, the walls change color to opaque, and no one will be able to see you.

02:26They used glass covered with PD-LC film to make the walls, which allowed them to go from being transparent to safely in tents using electricity.

02:37Alright, now you've nearly convinced me to try one of those magical toilets.

02:41Oh, and they also double as excellent lanterns in the dark, shining bright in different colors.

02:47Bring a couple to my local park, I don't mind.

02:49Take a deep breath.

02:52If you don't like what you're breathing in, do something about it.

02:56That must have been exactly what the smart guys at the University of Belgrade, Serbia thought and invented the liquid tree.

03:03The liquid tree, not the pun and laugh a bit, consists of a glass tank filled with over 150 gallons of water,

03:11some microalgae, and a solar panel, which provides electricity to a small pump.

03:16The microalgae need heating, so just in case there's no sun and the temperatures drop,

03:22the photobioreactor is also connected to the city grid.

03:26Microalgae work hard to do some photosynthesis magic and convert water and CO2 into oxygen,

03:32and then it goes into the atmosphere.

03:35The liquid tree also comes with a bench to sit on and enjoy its work.

03:39The liquid tree needs more work than a regular tree in the park.

03:43They need to replace the water and microalgae almost completely every month and a half.

03:49And they also need to take out the biomass that is the byproduct of the process,

03:54and let's admit, nothing can replace those blooming babes in spring.

03:58If you ever find yourself casually wandering in the forests of Estonia,

04:02don't freak out if you see some giant megaphones.

04:05These wooden, acoustic giants were set three hours away from the country's capital by interior architecture students.

04:13That's way cooler than the hamster roller coaster I once built for a science fair, I have to admit.

04:19More than half of Estonia is covered by woods, and they're pretty proud of this natural wealth.

04:24So it's not the first art project of this kind,

04:27and there was a winding, elevated pathway and a faceted woodland cabin.

04:31The idea of the megaphones is to crank up the natural sounds of a forest and also to serve as a rest spot for hikers.

04:41These wooden beauties are large enough to host several people.

04:45And hey, if you walk this far into the woodland, you'll be thankful for this.

04:50The students were given a task to invent some concepts of a forest library.

04:54They built the megaphones off-site and brought them to their permanent spots.

05:00They're set in such a way that sounds from three directions meet in the center

05:04and create a cool, natural surround sound effect.

05:08Have you ever helped your friends move into a new apartment in a building without an elevator?

05:13Then you're gonna love this one.

05:15Houses in Amsterdam have hooks on top.

05:18This is a medieval invention for pulling stuff up the houses.

05:21The simple tech consisting of a wheel and a rope still functions now, centuries later.

05:27Why not just use the stairs?

05:29Well, if you get inside one of those narrow Amsterdam buildings,

05:32you'll see there's hardly enough room to comfortably ascend,

05:36and you can forget about even trying to pull a table on top.

05:40Back in the medieval ages, pretty much like now,

05:43only rich people could afford housing around the canals in the best parts of the city.

05:48Those people were mostly traders and used the canals for their business.

05:53They stored goods in the same houses they lived in,

05:56and with regular floods, they had to find a way to keep the goods dry.

06:00And that's why they needed to invent something to lift furniture,

06:04goods, boxes, instruments, and food on the upper floors,

06:09and pull it in through fully open, wide windows.

06:12The lifting tech is one of the reasons the houses in Amsterdam are leaning forward.

06:18This position helped keep both the lifted stuff and the walls and windows safe during transportation.

06:24They didn't have to touch each other.

06:27The gables also assisted in the process and had to be made firm to withstand all the heavy weight.

06:33And in case you're wondering what gables are,

06:36they're sections of wall between the edges of a dual-pitched roof,

06:40typical for Amsterdam.

06:41Folks who live or work in skyscrapers have the opposite problem.

06:47Getting out of the building can take a while as you wait in line for the elevator.

06:51A slide going from the top of a skyscraper could be a solution.

06:56In 2016, they added one outside of the U.S. Bank Tower in Los Angeles at the height of 1,000 feet.

07:03The see-through slide, made of glass just one inch thick,

07:06was built to withstand hurricane-force winds and earthquakes.

07:09It was built to bring tourists to the building, though not for the convenience of office workers.

07:16And then they decided it wasn't such a great idea,

07:19so the slide was removed as part of the reconstruction of the building.

07:22A Hong Kong photographer and editor who became famous online went even wilder with his imagination

07:29and designed a double-decker bus with a slide.

07:34It's not his only futuristic photography masterpiece,

07:37as he likes to play with perspective and proportions.

07:39I can totally see myself sliding away when someone asks me to pay for the ride.

07:45Has your trusty phone ever let you down?

07:49More times than you can count?

07:51It always seems to run out of juice at the worst possible moment.

07:55You forget to top it off, or you end up in an area with no service.

07:59And let's not forget how useless it can be in an emergency,

08:02like during a tornado when there's no signal.

08:05But fear not!

08:06There's a cool project called MeshTastic

08:09that uses a wireless protocol to keep you connected with your friends.

08:12It's like magic, using a radio band called LoRa for encrypted messages.

08:18It works in literally any external conditions.

08:21Plus, each device can act as a repeater to extend the range of your messages.

08:26Perfect for disaster recovery or just keeping tabs on your kids.

08:30For less than $25, you can get a starter kit to join the MeshTastic fun.

08:35Add a GPS module and a battery, and you've got your own private channel.

08:39No more stressing when your kids are out and about.

08:42You can instantly see where they are.

08:44And if you're feeling daring, you can even send low bitrate audio through the airwaves.

08:50Now, I'll bet there's a bunch of things your car just can't do.

08:54Can it lean into corners?

08:55I don't think so.

08:57What about adjusting its own width to park easier?

09:00I know your answer is no, but let me show you something then.

09:04This cutie is called Trigo EV.

09:06And even though it looks like a futuristic stroller, it's actually a fully functional quadricycle you can totally drive.

09:13It was initially created for delivery and car-sharing purposes, but it turned out cooler and way more comfy than expected.

09:20If you ever find yourself driving this electric, yeah, let's call it a car, shall we?

09:25You won't need anything else but a tiny patch of land to park it.

09:28It has a maximum speed of 56 miles per hour.

09:32Not bad for such a tiny car.

09:34In cruise driving mode, it measures 58 inches wide, but a mechanism allows the front wheels to retract toward the chassis, reducing the width to 34 inches.

09:45The electric four-wheeler weighs slightly over 1,000 pounds, with a total permissible mass of around 1,600 pounds.

09:52Right, it all looks futuristic and fun, but I feel safer in good old SUVs.

09:58Ever wished you had an extra arm to help you out when your hands are full?

10:03Scientists have figured out how to control a robotic third arm using just your diaphragm muscle.

10:08It's as easy as pie, if pie is easy.

10:11This awesome discovery was made in Switzerland as part of the super-cool third arm project.

10:16They had volunteers wearing exoskeleton arms and a sensor belt to track their diaphragm movements, all while navigating a virtual world in VR.

10:25After over 150 sessions with 61 volunteers, most people found it a breeze to control three arms at once.

10:33They could even multitask, chatting and looking around while using the third arm.

10:38Now recently, a new fully autonomous delivery service with fast food joints was launched.

10:44This means no people involved from pickup to drop-off.

10:48It's called Flytrex, and it's been delivering using drones since 2017,

10:53teaming up with big names in retail and food to bring you quick and cheap deliveries.

10:58They're currently flying high in North Carolina and Texas, with plans to expand nationwide.

11:03Their goal is to make deliveries faster and cheaper using their trusty drones.

11:07Your order could be at your door in as little as 5 minutes after it's ready.

11:12Now, that's speedy.

11:13Flytrex got a huge increase in customers and even FAA approval for long-range drone deliveries in 2023.

11:21Partnering with big brands like Unilever and Papa John's, they're definitely on a roll.

11:26More a pizza roll.

11:28The Monocab OWL project is all about making a super-cool monorail vehicle for getting around in rural areas sustainably.

11:35The Monocab is a clever little autonomous monorail vehicle that can balance itself on a regular rail without any extra support.

11:43Its slim design allows it to zip along single-track lines in both directions, perfect for some unique rail mobility ideas.

11:51It's like a fun service-on-demand option that's way more exciting than your usual transportation choices,

11:57especially for reviving old railway lines in rural areas.

12:01Everyone on the Monocab OWL team is stoked about shaking things up in rural mobility.

12:07Right now, there's a lack of good, eco-friendly and budget-friendly options for getting around in less populated areas.

12:13Reactivating old railway lines is a great start, but we need some fresh ideas to really make it work.

12:20That's where these small, self-driving rail vehicles come in.

12:23They bring together the best of rail travel with on-demand booking and a cool digital navigation system.

12:31Look here! Can you identify what this weird-looking object is?

12:36It's a mobile solar container with foldable solar panels for green energy on the go.

12:41Just pop out the panels, unfold them, and you're good to power up equipment and properties with green energy wherever you are.

12:49The solar container can extend up to almost 400 feet in length when fully unfolded and has 240 solar panels.

12:57It's perfect for both on- and off-grid uses, like rescue missions and outdoor events.

13:02And it only takes about 5 hours to set up. Easy peasy!

13:06There's even an automatic conveyor system for easy folding and unfolding of the panels.

13:11Just push a button and start harnessing solar power.

13:15Solar Cont, the Austrian company that invented it, estimates this mobile solar container can power around 32 households.

13:23Virtual meetings are all the rage nowadays.

13:26Remote chats are cool, but let's be real, they're no match for face-to-face meetings.

13:31We can see each other, hear each other, but it's still pretty flat and 2D.

13:36Or, shall I say, it was flat.

13:39The thing is, HoloBox from HoloConnects is bringing holograms to life.

13:44This super cool device lets you project a life-size hologram of yourself, or anyone else, inside a funky box.

13:51Just plug it in, connect it to the internet, and voila!

13:55You've got a hologram ready to go.

13:57You can even connect multiple boxes to showcase big stuff like cars or anything else.

14:02Now, holograms are a massive game-changer for remote communication.

14:07Imagine chatting with someone and seeing them in 3D like they're right there with you.

14:12Plus, it adds a personal touch to presentations, training sessions, ads, you name it.

14:17What do you think?

14:18Does this look cool or creepy?

14:20Check out the latest creation from a rock star team of engineers at NASA Ames Research Center and KBR,

14:27a robot system that can autonomously build structures using lattice blocks.

14:33Their paper in Science Robotics explains how these robots and blocks work together to create amazing things.

14:40Designed for future lunar missions, these robots can lay down foundations for shelters before astronauts arrive.

14:46Three robots work together to carry and connect blocks with twisty edges, similar to assembling IKEA furniture.

14:54They have already built impressive structures, like a shelter made of 256 blocks in just over 4 days.

15:01Imagine what they could do on the moon!

15:05Experience the interactive pearl sculpture by breakfast.

15:09No food implied, just the name of the company.

15:11It's placed on a huge cruise ship called the Icon of the Seas.

15:15This stunning creation imitates the ocean's vibes, with rolling waves and shooting stars, each tile placed in a neat Fibonacci sequence.

15:24Using real-time data from the Caribbean, this sculpture changes constantly to match the current weather and tides, bringing the ocean to life before your eyes.

15:34Yeah, this invention won't change your life, but it's meant to nurture your soul.

15:38Have you heard about the Seattle-based startup JetTaptra?

15:41They're developing innovative vertical takeoff and landing vehicles with bladeless propulsion systems, promising a future of quiet, safe, and fast urban flight.

15:52By 2050, 70% of the population will be living in cities, leading to crowded streets.

15:58But JetTaptra's fluidic propulsion system offers a solution, using air pressure technology for silent operation.

16:05JetTaptra is also working on a high-speed VTOL for the U.S. Air Force, with plans for passenger-carrying prototypes by 2026.

16:14Well, that's exciting!

16:15That's it for today.

16:16So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your friends.

16:21Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the bright side!

16:25All right, let's do it.

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