In this third part of our ‘Year in Review’ series, we picked out 10 of the weirdest inventions of 2012. Creativity is one thing, but necessity is a completely different department that makes these creations questionable. What do you think?
WEIRDEST INVENTIONS OF 2012
1. Japanese Developer Creates Robotic Butt That Expresses Emotions
‘SHIRI’, an expressive and responsive robotic butt, is capable of twitching, protruding and tensing up—like a real-life butt. Made of rigid urethane skeleton, it mimics the shape, movement and feel of a real human bottom. Although it may just be another attempt to recreate human traits in robots, we cannot help but wonder: why the butt?
2. 13-Year-Old Girl Develops Lollipops That Cures Hiccups
‘Hiccupops’ are lollipops made of apple cider vinegar and sugar that supposedly cure hiccups. The award-winning candies would stop hiccups by “‘[over-stimulating]’ the hiccup-causing nerves in our throat and mouth”. This certainly beats having to drink gallons of water or holding our breath until we turn blue.
3. Mouth Spray That Instantly Makes You Drunk
This lipstick-sized aerosol mouth spray developed by cult designer Philippe Starck would have you feeling tipsy in a matter of seconds. Called ‘WA|HH Quantum Sensations’, it allows users to enjoy the light-headed pleasure of alcohol consumption, sans the risk of drunkenness or a hangover. However, as it only dispenses a miniscule amount of alcohol each time, it would take up to 800 sprays to replicate the effect of a real drink—downing a shot of whiskey seems more time-efficient?
4. Vibrating Tattoo Alerts Users About In-Coming Messages, Calls, Emails
Upon receiving magnetic signals from a phone, Nokia’s haptic tattoo would send “a perceivable impulse” through the user’s skin to alert them of incoming calls, text messages and emails. These vibrations could even be customized to match different contacts so you would know who is trying to get in touch. This should make sure that you never miss another call in your life.
5. A Perfume That Lets You Smell Like New Apple Products
This should thrill die-hard Apple fan boys—a perfume that replicates the scent of a newly-opened Apple product. Fragrance company Air Aroma set out to recreate this smell—a mix of plastic wrapping, printed ink on cardboard and aluminum laptop—with the aromas of glue, plastic, rubber and paper. Unfortunately, this is a conceptual project that never made it to mass production.
6. In China, A Machine That Automatically Extracts Sperm From The Penis
Chinese hospitals have introduced an “automatic sperm extractor” that effectively mechanizes the sexual process. Used to retrieve sperm from patients who have problems producing sperm in the traditional way, the machine could be customized to suit the user’s personal preferences of speed, frequency, amplitude and temperature. This is certainly an efficient way of collecting sperm, but perhaps less gratifying without the human touch?
7. Japanese Scientist Develops Fart-Deodorizing Underwear
To avoid those embarrassing incidents where you cannot help but let out one of those silent-and-deadly killers, a Japanese scientist has developed a fabric that blocks out unpleasant odors. Made of ceramics, it is washable and contains metal ions that break down and eliminate 80% of bad smells within 30 seconds of contact. This would come in handy on days when you are feeling particularly gassy.
8. Nigerian Teenage Girls Create Urine-Powered Electrical Generator
Four Nigerian girls brought new meaning to the term “waste recycling” with their urine-powered electrical generator. Using urine as an electrolytic cell to separate out hydrogen, this ingenious device is able to provide six hours of electricity with every liter of liquid waste. As pee is a natural, sustainable resource, this could be considered a clean technology—that is ironically, not-so-clean.
9. A Refrigerator That Only Opens If You Smile At It
Say no to depression-induced binging with this “smart” refrigerator that only opens when you smile at it. Designed to ensure that its users continue to smile despite the grind of daily life, the ‘Happiness Counter’ uses a camera to detect smiles before deciding if you are “happy” enough to gain access to its contents. If you want to eat, better flash those pearly whites!
10. Japanese Scientist Creates Burgers Out Of Human Feces
You would almost be literally eating shit when you tuck into one of these burgers. Made with patties of artificial meat that are made with proteins and lipids from human feces, this ‘shit burger’ tastes just like a regular hamburger—its looks and flavors have been enhanced with food coloring and steak sauce. However it tastes, would you still bite into it if you knew what went into it?
WEIRDEST INVENTIONS OF 2012
1. Japanese Developer Creates Robotic Butt That Expresses Emotions
‘SHIRI’, an expressive and responsive robotic butt, is capable of twitching, protruding and tensing up—like a real-life butt. Made of rigid urethane skeleton, it mimics the shape, movement and feel of a real human bottom. Although it may just be another attempt to recreate human traits in robots, we cannot help but wonder: why the butt?
2. 13-Year-Old Girl Develops Lollipops That Cures Hiccups
‘Hiccupops’ are lollipops made of apple cider vinegar and sugar that supposedly cure hiccups. The award-winning candies would stop hiccups by “‘[over-stimulating]’ the hiccup-causing nerves in our throat and mouth”. This certainly beats having to drink gallons of water or holding our breath until we turn blue.
3. Mouth Spray That Instantly Makes You Drunk
This lipstick-sized aerosol mouth spray developed by cult designer Philippe Starck would have you feeling tipsy in a matter of seconds. Called ‘WA|HH Quantum Sensations’, it allows users to enjoy the light-headed pleasure of alcohol consumption, sans the risk of drunkenness or a hangover. However, as it only dispenses a miniscule amount of alcohol each time, it would take up to 800 sprays to replicate the effect of a real drink—downing a shot of whiskey seems more time-efficient?
4. Vibrating Tattoo Alerts Users About In-Coming Messages, Calls, Emails
Upon receiving magnetic signals from a phone, Nokia’s haptic tattoo would send “a perceivable impulse” through the user’s skin to alert them of incoming calls, text messages and emails. These vibrations could even be customized to match different contacts so you would know who is trying to get in touch. This should make sure that you never miss another call in your life.
5. A Perfume That Lets You Smell Like New Apple Products
This should thrill die-hard Apple fan boys—a perfume that replicates the scent of a newly-opened Apple product. Fragrance company Air Aroma set out to recreate this smell—a mix of plastic wrapping, printed ink on cardboard and aluminum laptop—with the aromas of glue, plastic, rubber and paper. Unfortunately, this is a conceptual project that never made it to mass production.
6. In China, A Machine That Automatically Extracts Sperm From The Penis
Chinese hospitals have introduced an “automatic sperm extractor” that effectively mechanizes the sexual process. Used to retrieve sperm from patients who have problems producing sperm in the traditional way, the machine could be customized to suit the user’s personal preferences of speed, frequency, amplitude and temperature. This is certainly an efficient way of collecting sperm, but perhaps less gratifying without the human touch?
7. Japanese Scientist Develops Fart-Deodorizing Underwear
To avoid those embarrassing incidents where you cannot help but let out one of those silent-and-deadly killers, a Japanese scientist has developed a fabric that blocks out unpleasant odors. Made of ceramics, it is washable and contains metal ions that break down and eliminate 80% of bad smells within 30 seconds of contact. This would come in handy on days when you are feeling particularly gassy.
8. Nigerian Teenage Girls Create Urine-Powered Electrical Generator
Four Nigerian girls brought new meaning to the term “waste recycling” with their urine-powered electrical generator. Using urine as an electrolytic cell to separate out hydrogen, this ingenious device is able to provide six hours of electricity with every liter of liquid waste. As pee is a natural, sustainable resource, this could be considered a clean technology—that is ironically, not-so-clean.
9. A Refrigerator That Only Opens If You Smile At It
Say no to depression-induced binging with this “smart” refrigerator that only opens when you smile at it. Designed to ensure that its users continue to smile despite the grind of daily life, the ‘Happiness Counter’ uses a camera to detect smiles before deciding if you are “happy” enough to gain access to its contents. If you want to eat, better flash those pearly whites!
10. Japanese Scientist Creates Burgers Out Of Human Feces
You would almost be literally eating shit when you tuck into one of these burgers. Made with patties of artificial meat that are made with proteins and lipids from human feces, this ‘shit burger’ tastes just like a regular hamburger—its looks and flavors have been enhanced with food coloring and steak sauce. However it tastes, would you still bite into it if you knew what went into it?