30/03/2015
Sometimes innovation is the product of chance, not choice. Call it fate, or luck, but throughout history, every so often, serendipity becomes the mother of invention. And some of the world greatest inventions owe their existence to chance.

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Intrigued? Then read on, and discover some of the most awesome accidental innovations, and the rather amusing stories behind them.

The Microwave

Where would we be without microwaves? These cooking kings are a kitchen staple and it’s hard to imagine our homes without them. But were not for a spectacular act of serendipity, we may just have had to.

The microwave is the brain-child of pioneering electrical engineer, Percy Spencer. Back in 1945, Spencer was experimenting with a magnetron – a device capable of producing microwave radiation – when he noticed that a chocolate bar in his pocket had melted!

His initial disappointment over the demise of his sweet treat soon gave way to curiosity. With his interest ignited, Spencer began experimenting with other objects such as popcorn – that’s right you’ve got Spencer to thank for microwave popcorn too!

Spencer soon saw the revolutionary potential of this technology as a culinary device, and went on to produce what is considered to be the first true microwave oven.

Teflon

Non-stick Teflon pans are pretty miraculous really, and as it turns out, their invention was a bit of an accidental miracle too. Polytetrafluoroethylene – known as Teflon for short – was in fact discovered entirely by chance, by chemist, Dr. Roy Plunkett.

Whilst on a quest to discover a new refrigeration technology, the Christopher Columbus of the chemistry world, Dr. Plunklett, hit upon a material as unusual as it is useful – Teflon.

After months of experimenting with a variety of different chemicals, Dr. Plunkett returned to his lab one day, only to find that a canister that should have been full of gas now appeared to be mysteriously empty.

Upon closer inspection, he was astonished to discover that the inside of the canister was coated with small flecks of white powder. This mysterious stuff had some pretty unique properties too.

Intrigued, he began experimenting with the substance further and discovered that not only was it a fantastic lubricant, it was capable of withstanding extremely high temperatures too. And so Teflon was born – this substance is now used for applications as diverse as military gear and cookery pans!

Velcro

Sometimes it’s possible to find inspiration in even the most unusual places – even your dog’s fur.

Whilst out walking his dog, Swiss engineer George de Mestral noticed the rather exasperating tendency of burrs to cling to his dog’s fur. Fascinated by this, he decided to inspect these bothersome burrs further – under a microscope. What he found changed the face of fashion, amongst other things, forever.

Mestral observed that these burrs featured tiny hooks, which enabled them to cling on to fabric and furs with remarkable persistence.
After years of experimentation, Mestral was finally able to reproduce this natural attachment method, using two strips of fabric – one featuring a series of tiny hooks and the other thousands of minute loops. He named this invention Velcro – and the rest is history.

We hope you’ve enjoyed this round-up of some truly amazing accidental inventions. As custom spring manufacturers, here at European Springs we know a thing or two about inventions. All of our springs are a work of innovation, and we’re constantly looking to develop new, ever more inventive products.
Want to know more? Then contact us a member of our team today, by giving us a call on 0208 663 1800.

European Springs

27/03/2015
Living robots don’t exist… right?  

Cyborgs may be considered the stuff of sci-fi films, a combination of both organic and bionic parts, but these days they’re closer to being fact than fiction – even if they are a little on the small side.

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Researchers are finding ever-more innovative ways of combining living organisms with non-living machines to solve a variety of pressing problems. And thanks to a new innovation, scientists are one step closer to developing living, breathing drones which could, one day, be coming to your rescue.

The Beetle-copter

Is it a bird, is it a plane? …No it’s a beetle, sporting a rather sophisticated-looking backpack, and it could one day be the face of search and rescue.
Beetles are amazing flyers, and whilst engineers are working hard to develop similar robotic flyers of their own, it’s hard to beat the built-in biology of these astonishing creatures.

In a series of experiments, designed to uncover the secrets of insect flight, researchers recorded neuromuscular data from beetles as they performed some pretty spectacular aerial acrobatics.

Based on this work, the team were able to figure out which muscles are involved in the control of a beetle's wing and steering movements. And equipped with this knowledge, they’ve now developed an innovative method of controlling a beetle's flight. That right, remote-control beetles are real!

How Does It Work?

Engineers fitted beetles with specially designed backpacks, featuring tiny computers and a wireless radio. This device allows signals to be sent to the beetle every thousandth of a second.

These signals stimulate tiny muscles located beneath the insect's wings. Equipped with this bit of kit, the beetles can be made to take-off, land, fly in different directions, and even hover in mid air!

You can check out the beetles in action by taking a look at the video below: