0:00:02 > 0:00:05'Have you ever thought about being an inventor, coming up with
0:00:05 > 0:00:10'brilliant ideas for ingenious devices or clever machines?
0:00:10 > 0:00:14'Well, I'm going to show you how you too can be an absolute genius.'
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Some of you may be wondering what an inventor actually does.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35Well, it's lots of different things.
0:00:35 > 0:00:38For starters, they do their inventing
0:00:38 > 0:00:41in an amazing variety of places. Oh, my word!
0:00:41 > 0:00:43From ships...
0:00:43 > 0:00:44to sheds...
0:00:44 > 0:00:46to swimming pools.
0:00:47 > 0:00:52They use loads of different tools, from a simple pen and paper...
0:00:52 > 0:00:54to soldering irons...
0:00:54 > 0:00:58to metal-working machines in workshops.
0:00:58 > 0:01:01They work hard but they have a lot of fun as well.
0:01:01 > 0:01:06Now, what kind of people make the best inventors?
0:01:06 > 0:01:10How do you start out being an inventor in the first place?
0:01:10 > 0:01:13And what kind of skills do you think you need?
0:01:18 > 0:01:21When people notice things, when people are observant,
0:01:21 > 0:01:23they make good inventors.
0:01:23 > 0:01:26You need to be creative and have ideas of your own.
0:01:26 > 0:01:29Seeing some of the crazy, wacky things in science-fiction films
0:01:29 > 0:01:31and thinking, "Could I make that real?"
0:01:31 > 0:01:33Be willing to do it.
0:01:33 > 0:01:36- Mm-hmm.- You can't say, "I'm going to be an inventor
0:01:36 > 0:01:38- "but I'll do it later."- Yeah! - "I'll be an inventor later."
0:01:38 > 0:01:41You have to be a really driven person,
0:01:41 > 0:01:44you've got to want to get things done.
0:01:44 > 0:01:48You also need to be able to see a problem that exists,
0:01:48 > 0:01:51you need to find a need, something that needs to be solved.
0:01:51 > 0:01:55Sam and Benjamin Houghton love solving problems.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57They're Britain's youngest inventors.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01So, what are you doing here, what's this?
0:02:01 > 0:02:05This is so you don't strain your arm or cut your hand either.
0:02:05 > 0:02:08I'll let you have a demonstration on this big rock.
0:02:08 > 0:02:10OK, let me have a look. So it's like...
0:02:10 > 0:02:14So, just pretend that you don't see the rock, you're digging down...
0:02:14 > 0:02:17'The problem they wanted to tackle was how to avoid hurting
0:02:17 > 0:02:20'yourself when you're using a tool like a spade
0:02:20 > 0:02:22'and you hit something hard in the ground.'
0:02:22 > 0:02:27If you didn't have this, you wouldn't have any grip and it would cut you.
0:02:27 > 0:02:30- I get you. So it's a shock-absorbing handle.- Yes.- Yeah.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32It can go in anything including a spade.
0:02:32 > 0:02:34There's a bit of rock here, but I haven't seen it.
0:02:34 > 0:02:37I'm digging away, I'm digging away, digging away...
0:02:37 > 0:02:39LOUD TAP
0:02:39 > 0:02:42Ah! And usually, it would go all the way through your arm
0:02:42 > 0:02:43- and hurt your shoulder.- Yeah.
0:02:43 > 0:02:46- But there, the handle just absorbed all the shock from it.- Yeah.
0:02:46 > 0:02:50- That is cool.- So it'll do the same with me.- Yeah.
0:02:50 > 0:02:51I don't feel a thing either.
0:02:51 > 0:02:55- That's brilliant. And that's just with this handle?- Yeah.- Yeah.
0:02:55 > 0:02:58- So the handle is your guys' invention?- The handle is the best.
0:02:58 > 0:03:0210-year-old Sam and 8-year-old Benjamin do a lot of their inventing
0:03:02 > 0:03:04whilst playing.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08- Hello. Is it all right if I come and play with you?- OK.
0:03:08 > 0:03:12'They've a special cupboard that helps them with their inventing.'
0:03:12 > 0:03:16Oh, my word! This is heaven. Look at it! What's all this stuff here?
0:03:16 > 0:03:20- Batteries.- These are batteries. Anything else, what about that one?
0:03:20 > 0:03:22- Loads of Meccano in there.- Yep.
0:03:22 > 0:03:25- That's tools and stuff.- Lots and lots of tools.
0:03:25 > 0:03:27So, in here you got lots of bits
0:03:27 > 0:03:31and pieces and things that you can use for inventing things. Yeah?
0:03:31 > 0:03:34- Yeah, make into all sorts of things.- Yeah.
0:03:34 > 0:03:38And I've heard you've invented something especially for me.
0:03:38 > 0:03:41- Yeah.- Well, you could say it was an invention, but let's see it anyway.
0:03:41 > 0:03:42Yeah, let's go over here.
0:03:44 > 0:03:51Ah. A Wakey Uppy Thing. So, what does this do then?
0:03:51 > 0:03:54- It wakes you up in the morning. - Hopefully, yeah?
0:03:54 > 0:03:56'If you struggle to get up in the morning,
0:03:56 > 0:04:00'then Sam and Benjamin's Wakey Uppy Thing could be the answer.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03'First of all, it makes a scary noise.'
0:04:03 > 0:04:05Is there a countdown to when it's going to go off?
0:04:05 > 0:04:07- So, it's set for seven in the morning, is that?- Yeah.
0:04:07 > 0:04:12So, this is the time...oh, there's three seconds. Three, two, one.
0:04:12 > 0:04:13GHOSTLY NOISE
0:04:13 > 0:04:14So, that's the ghost noises.
0:04:14 > 0:04:17'And if THAT doesn't work, their invention gives off
0:04:17 > 0:04:19'a tempting breakfast aroma.'
0:04:19 > 0:04:24To get you to leave your bedroom, there's the smell of bacon.
0:04:24 > 0:04:26THEY SNIFF
0:04:26 > 0:04:29- You can actually smell the bacon. - SAM AND BEN: Yeah.
0:04:29 > 0:04:32I get you. The ghost noises will go, "Something's happening,
0:04:32 > 0:04:35"it's scary," and you'd normally go back to sleep once you've
0:04:35 > 0:04:38realised nothing's happening, but then, when you smell the bacon,
0:04:38 > 0:04:41you go, "Mmm, bacon, I might get out of bed to get the bacon."
0:04:41 > 0:04:43- BOYS CHUCKLE - I think I need this.
0:04:43 > 0:04:46- Do you think this would actually get me out of bed?- Probably.
0:04:46 > 0:04:49- Only if you like bacon.- That's true!
0:04:49 > 0:04:53'So, Sam and Benjamin have lots of the qualities that
0:04:53 > 0:04:55'go into making a good inventor:
0:04:55 > 0:04:57'creativity, curiosity,
0:04:57 > 0:05:01'and a determination to solve problems.'
0:05:08 > 0:05:11Design colleges are great places to find out
0:05:11 > 0:05:14how inventors come up with ideas.
0:05:14 > 0:05:18Like this one, the Royal College of Art in Kensington, London.
0:05:18 > 0:05:21All these different things are works in progress from students
0:05:21 > 0:05:23at the college.
0:05:23 > 0:05:27Around me are absolutely loads of brilliant inventions. I love them.
0:05:27 > 0:05:30And one of my favourites is here.
0:05:31 > 0:05:35This is a radio-controlled pen.
0:05:35 > 0:05:38Let me show you, here's my radio controller
0:05:38 > 0:05:42and I can move the pen just by pushing the buttons here. I love it.
0:05:42 > 0:05:46Now, radio controls and coloured pens are not new
0:05:46 > 0:05:50but the way they're being used here is very inventive.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53So, what exactly is an invention?
0:05:53 > 0:05:56Now, sometimes inventing things isn't necessarily coming up
0:05:56 > 0:05:59with a completely new idea from scratch, is it?
0:05:59 > 0:06:03No, sometimes it's about watching how people use things.
0:06:03 > 0:06:06Take this ketchup bottle, for example.
0:06:06 > 0:06:10The very first person who turned this upside down was an inventor.
0:06:10 > 0:06:14- Ahh.- They came up with a way of storing it where you're going
0:06:14 > 0:06:17to get all of the ketchup out at the end.
0:06:17 > 0:06:21But somebody came up with a great idea -
0:06:21 > 0:06:26why not have a really large base so it naturally sits that way up?
0:06:26 > 0:06:28And you're going to get all of your ketchup out.
0:06:28 > 0:06:31It's observing people's behaviour and thinking,
0:06:31 > 0:06:34"How can I make this use easier?"
0:06:34 > 0:06:39So, an invention can be adapting something that already exists.
0:06:39 > 0:06:43Benjamin Houghton has done just that with a toy teacup
0:06:43 > 0:06:46he's turned into a special bathroom plug.
0:06:46 > 0:06:48Now, there's a plug over there,
0:06:48 > 0:06:50- that looks like an old-style plug. - Yeah.
0:06:50 > 0:06:56You would basically plug it in but it would be really hard to grip
0:06:56 > 0:06:59and your chain will be probably broken.
0:06:59 > 0:07:01Sometimes you pull it out and it gets sucked back in.
0:07:01 > 0:07:03And you can't empty the bath.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07And you don't have enough time because the hot water really hurts.
0:07:07 > 0:07:10Yes! "Ow, ow, ow," you're trying to get it out.
0:07:10 > 0:07:14- But...- Go on.- ..if you use this instead...
0:07:14 > 0:07:18- Shall we try it?- OK.- OK.
0:07:18 > 0:07:21- So, we just knock it, yeah? - Yeah. Two, three...
0:07:21 > 0:07:24Push it over. Done, all the water gone down
0:07:24 > 0:07:26and that's my invention done.
0:07:26 > 0:07:29- Oh, brilliant.- And I told my dad.- Give me five for that.
0:07:29 > 0:07:33Inventions can also be making brilliant improvements
0:07:33 > 0:07:35to something that's part of our everyday lives,
0:07:35 > 0:07:38like, for instance, the swimsuit.
0:07:38 > 0:07:42Sportswear inventor Fiona Fairhurst came up with a genius idea
0:07:42 > 0:07:46whilst watching the swimming at the 1996 Olympics.
0:07:46 > 0:07:50A new swimsuit had come out, designed to make swimmers go faster.
0:07:50 > 0:07:53Looking at this new invention that Speedo had just launched
0:07:53 > 0:07:55and thought, "I can do better than that,"
0:07:55 > 0:07:58and the ideas started to flow.
0:07:58 > 0:08:02She came up with an idea for a swimsuit called Fastskin,
0:08:02 > 0:08:06inspired by the way that sharks moved through the water.
0:08:06 > 0:08:10Sharks have a very rough skin made up of tiny teeth-like structures.
0:08:10 > 0:08:14These help channel water very efficiently down its body.
0:08:14 > 0:08:18Fiona's Fastskin was designed to mimic the shark's skin.
0:08:18 > 0:08:21I took a skin sample from a shark,
0:08:21 > 0:08:24put it under a very powerful microscope,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27I could see the lumpy and bumpy surface.
0:08:27 > 0:08:31It was completely the opposite of what I was expecting.
0:08:31 > 0:08:34I was expecting that it'd be really smooth.
0:08:34 > 0:08:38So, it was a real surprise to see these teeth-like structures...
0:08:38 > 0:08:44- Like, sticking out?- Yeah. Very V-like and zigzag-y, and very rough.
0:08:44 > 0:08:47So, have you got those lumps and bumps in your swimsuit then?
0:08:47 > 0:08:49Absolutely. You can see them.
0:08:49 > 0:08:51- Let's have a look. - If we stretch the fabric,
0:08:51 > 0:08:54you can see these grooves very finely.
0:08:54 > 0:08:57- You can, they're just, like... - Tiny millimetres.- Yes.
0:08:57 > 0:09:01And they channel the water, so from your head down to your feet
0:09:01 > 0:09:04they travel completely in straight lines
0:09:04 > 0:09:07and because we use a hydrophobic coating...
0:09:07 > 0:09:11Hydrophobic - so it doesn't like water?
0:09:11 > 0:09:13It repels water a bit like your cagoule?
0:09:13 > 0:09:15Yeah, you can actually...
0:09:15 > 0:09:18- I'll hold it like this and you pour some on.- Yeah.
0:09:18 > 0:09:22We can just get the beads of water to roll around on the surface.
0:09:22 > 0:09:23It just sits on top.
0:09:26 > 0:09:29I want to see just how good Fiona's Fastskin swimsuit is
0:09:29 > 0:09:32so I'm going to swim one length of this pool
0:09:32 > 0:09:35in my ordinary costume and Fiona's going to time it.
0:09:35 > 0:09:38Then, I'm going to try it in the Fastskin swimsuit
0:09:38 > 0:09:40and see if I can do it any quicker.
0:09:43 > 0:09:47'Now, I'm swimming as fast as I possibly can.'
0:09:58 > 0:10:01- Ooh!- How did I do?
0:10:01 > 0:10:0518 seconds. That's not bad, so I'm told.
0:10:05 > 0:10:06But can I go any faster?
0:10:18 > 0:10:21It feels really... It feels so strange.
0:10:21 > 0:10:26It's like I'm on a trampoline and I'm getting a bit more...
0:10:26 > 0:10:28You're getting so much more push.
0:10:28 > 0:10:31'So how will the Fastskin compare?'
0:10:37 > 0:10:41'Remember, those tiny grooves in the swimsuit fabric help channel
0:10:41 > 0:10:45'the water more effectively down my body so I should swim faster.'
0:10:50 > 0:10:53- How did I do?- 18.25.
0:10:53 > 0:10:55- Oh! - FIONA LAUGHS
0:10:55 > 0:11:01So my last one, 18.78. This one, I've got 18.25,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03so I've knocked off about half a second,
0:11:03 > 0:11:08which - just for a 25-metre pool - that's pretty good.
0:11:08 > 0:11:10And now I'm pretty tired!
0:11:10 > 0:11:15So an invention can be taking an object that already exists
0:11:15 > 0:11:16and adapting it,
0:11:16 > 0:11:20or improving it so much that it becomes brand new.
0:11:25 > 0:11:28For inventors, inspiration is the name of the game.
0:11:28 > 0:11:32There's that moment where they come up with this fantastic idea.
0:11:32 > 0:11:33BIN!
0:11:33 > 0:11:36But where do these ideas come from?
0:11:41 > 0:11:47For me, I like to get out there and talk to people and ask questions.
0:11:47 > 0:11:49I sometimes carry a little notebook around with me
0:11:49 > 0:11:51and it's brilliant now with digital technology,
0:11:51 > 0:11:54I can use my telephone and photograph something that I'll see.
0:11:54 > 0:12:00A good thing is to set yourself a problem and solve it.
0:12:00 > 0:12:02Problems are a good place to start
0:12:02 > 0:12:04when you're coming up with inventions.
0:12:04 > 0:12:07Inspiration for an idea can come from being annoyed about something.
0:12:07 > 0:12:10This is a good example. You're sitting having a cup of tea
0:12:10 > 0:12:12and you get crumbs on your table
0:12:12 > 0:12:15so why not have a coaster that has space for a brew AND a biscuit?
0:12:15 > 0:12:17If there's a need there and you can solve that,
0:12:17 > 0:12:19then that's your job done as an inventor.
0:12:21 > 0:12:25Mark Wemyss-Holden teaches design and technology.
0:12:25 > 0:12:27He's invented something designed to solve
0:12:27 > 0:12:29a very particular kind of problem.
0:12:29 > 0:12:34This is, for me, an answer to a classroom question or frustration
0:12:34 > 0:12:37that I think technology teachers in general suffer
0:12:37 > 0:12:40from on a daily basis, which is people that think they can't draw.
0:12:40 > 0:12:44And it's the most frustrating feeling because you think,
0:12:44 > 0:12:46you CAN draw, you just been a bit of time and practice,
0:12:46 > 0:12:49a bit of something to help guide you.
0:12:49 > 0:12:53IsoSketch is a tool for drawing three-dimensional shapes.
0:12:53 > 0:12:56Mark's ingenious invention could soon be a standard
0:12:56 > 0:12:59piece of equipment in school pencil cases.
0:12:59 > 0:13:03Mark makes them himself on this laser cutting machine
0:13:03 > 0:13:05at Aquinas Sixth Form College in Stockport
0:13:05 > 0:13:09where he works as a teacher. He's liked making
0:13:09 > 0:13:11and inventing things from a very young age.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14Back as a young kid, probably about five or six,
0:13:14 > 0:13:15I started going...
0:13:15 > 0:13:17At the weekends, I started going to my granddad's garage
0:13:17 > 0:13:19with my good, old granddad.
0:13:19 > 0:13:21We used to make things out of wood, used to make things like this.
0:13:21 > 0:13:25This was one of the early ones, a little wooden fish.
0:13:25 > 0:13:27And we developed into making little games,
0:13:27 > 0:13:31made a tabletop cricket set which is this little thing here.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34Mark's inspiration for his invention has come from a problem
0:13:34 > 0:13:36he came up against at work.
0:13:36 > 0:13:39Other inventors find problems to tackle at home.
0:13:39 > 0:13:41SHE CHUCKLES
0:13:41 > 0:13:43The thing that I find really difficult about painting
0:13:43 > 0:13:47my nails is making sure the varnish doesn't go on...you know,
0:13:47 > 0:13:51carpets or tablecloths and then there's that whole thing
0:13:51 > 0:13:56of drying your nails, not touching your hair, the furniture.
0:13:56 > 0:13:58If only there was a better way to do this.
0:14:02 > 0:14:06Meet student inventors, Jyoti Chadda and Monique Anderson.
0:14:06 > 0:14:09Their invention is just what all messy nail-painters need.
0:14:09 > 0:14:12The Handy Mat is basically a nail-painting hand aid
0:14:12 > 0:14:15which allows you to paint your nails anywhere at any time
0:14:15 > 0:14:18without damaging the surfaces you're leaning on.
0:14:18 > 0:14:22- I think I get how it works, but can you just show me?- Yeah, sure.
0:14:22 > 0:14:24You just place your fingers in here,
0:14:24 > 0:14:28three fingers in the strap and then this is what you use to close it.
0:14:28 > 0:14:32Just pull it that way, then you can just paint your nails
0:14:32 > 0:14:35and to open it, you simply just pull it here.
0:14:35 > 0:14:37And then the reason it's got seven fingers is
0:14:37 > 0:14:39so you can use it for both hands.
0:14:39 > 0:14:42What made you come up with the idea for this?
0:14:42 > 0:14:46At home, I was constantly getting shouted at by my mum
0:14:46 > 0:14:49for getting nail varnish on the sofas, on our cream carpets,
0:14:49 > 0:14:52bed linen. Then I realised it wasn't just me
0:14:52 > 0:14:56who was getting nail vanish everywhere, it was a lot of people.
0:14:56 > 0:14:58- Yeah, everyone does it. - Everyone does it.
0:14:58 > 0:15:03There we have it, two simple but really clever inventions.
0:15:03 > 0:15:07Proof that a great way to get inspiration for an invention
0:15:07 > 0:15:10is to look for problems to solve in your everyday life.
0:15:12 > 0:15:15Once you have come up with your great idea for an invention,
0:15:15 > 0:15:17that is just the beginning.
0:15:18 > 0:15:22You have then got to explore and develop your idea.
0:15:22 > 0:15:23You've got to ask yourself,
0:15:23 > 0:15:25who is your invention for?
0:15:33 > 0:15:36You might have some idea, about, "Right, I think this could
0:15:36 > 0:15:39"work as a solution," but the sooner you can make something and try
0:15:39 > 0:15:43it and maybe show other people and get their input, the better.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46It's about, "How can I improve it, what's the next step?"
0:15:46 > 0:15:49I just want to explore it and take it as far as possible.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52If you want to know something is going to work, the best way of
0:15:52 > 0:15:56doing that is to actually build a model of it and test your ideas and
0:15:56 > 0:16:00see if, in reality, they actually do what you think they're going to do.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03It doesn't have to be super-advanced engineering or mechanics or
0:16:03 > 0:16:05building processes,
0:16:05 > 0:16:09or anything, you can do it with stuff you've got around your house.
0:16:09 > 0:16:13Inventor Emily Cummins develops a lot of her ideas for her inventions
0:16:13 > 0:16:18in her granddad's shed in his back garden in Keighley, Yorkshire.
0:16:18 > 0:16:21My granddad inspired me to be an inventor.
0:16:21 > 0:16:22What I used to do with my granddad
0:16:22 > 0:16:24was spend hours with him in this shed,
0:16:24 > 0:16:27and I used to watch as he would take these scraps of materials
0:16:27 > 0:16:30and turn them into toys for me and my cousins,
0:16:30 > 0:16:34and I think I was just fascinated by making things and being creative.
0:16:34 > 0:16:39My granddad really made me believe that I could also invent things.
0:16:39 > 0:16:42Emily's inventions solve problems that make a real difference to
0:16:42 > 0:16:45the daily lives of ordinary people.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49She has invented this water carrier on wheels to help communities
0:16:49 > 0:16:54in developing countries where they have to walk miles to collect water.
0:16:54 > 0:16:58She has also come up with a design for a special fridge that
0:16:58 > 0:17:00doesn't need electricity.
0:17:00 > 0:17:05The way that it works, there are two cylinders, one inside the other.
0:17:05 > 0:17:08What you can see here is this inner cylinder is where you would
0:17:08 > 0:17:14store your products, so, your meat or your vegetables or your medicine.
0:17:14 > 0:17:17Around the inner cylinder you have got the outer cylinder.
0:17:17 > 0:17:20Now, this has holes in it.
0:17:20 > 0:17:23Her fridge works by putting a material between the inner
0:17:23 > 0:17:25and outer cylinder that can both soak water up
0:17:25 > 0:17:27and allow it to evaporate,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30like sand, for instance.
0:17:30 > 0:17:34When the fridge is put in direct sunlight it heats up on the outside,
0:17:34 > 0:17:38and the water evaporates through the holes.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41That causes the inner cylinder to cool,
0:17:41 > 0:17:44creating a fridge that doesn't need electricity.
0:17:44 > 0:17:47The problem for Emily was that there wasn't really
0:17:47 > 0:17:50a demand for an invention like this in the UK.
0:17:50 > 0:17:53I had to think about how else this product could be used,
0:17:53 > 0:17:55and where else it could make a difference.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58What I realised was that for people in Africa who don't have access
0:17:58 > 0:18:02to electricity, who don't even have refrigeration now, this fridge
0:18:02 > 0:18:06would be absolutely perfect for them in the hot temperatures.
0:18:06 > 0:18:10So, Emily's idea developed once she realised who was really going
0:18:10 > 0:18:13to need her invention.
0:18:13 > 0:18:15Now, people in countries like Namibia
0:18:15 > 0:18:19and Zambia are building their own fridges based on her design.
0:18:21 > 0:18:26Rob Smith is another inventor motivated by real need.
0:18:26 > 0:18:29He has developed an invention that helps him overcome
0:18:29 > 0:18:34a serious disability. It looks like a mitt made out of pieces of Velcro.
0:18:34 > 0:18:37So, Rob, how did you get the idea for your gripping aid?
0:18:37 > 0:18:41Well, I had an accident about 16 years ago,
0:18:41 > 0:18:43I fell down a cliff, so I use this wheelchair now.
0:18:43 > 0:18:47His accident resulted in a major spinal-cord injury.
0:18:47 > 0:18:51It meant that my hand function was really reduced,
0:18:51 > 0:18:55so I don't have a very strong grip at all, and not much finger movement,
0:18:55 > 0:18:58so I needed to invent something to help me
0:18:58 > 0:19:01hold the things that I wanted to hold to overcome that problem.
0:19:01 > 0:19:04So, I started to design some prototypes, have a
0:19:04 > 0:19:07think about it, and... Shall I show you the first one?
0:19:07 > 0:19:08Yes, let's have a look.
0:19:08 > 0:19:12I'm going to use my teeth to put it on because my fingers don't work very well.
0:19:12 > 0:19:15Then I thought, "I can use pieces of Velcro on my fingers to
0:19:15 > 0:19:17"pull my fingers into shape,"
0:19:17 > 0:19:21and if I wanted to grip an object then I could attach these
0:19:21 > 0:19:26fingers down here, and maybe I would be able to hold it into a fist,
0:19:26 > 0:19:29but this just wasn't strong enough, these Velcro pieces were just
0:19:29 > 0:19:32not strong enough and they were coming undone all the time, and
0:19:32 > 0:19:35that made it really difficult for me to grip the objects I wanted to.
0:19:35 > 0:19:37So, that was your first prototype,
0:19:37 > 0:19:39and I suppose you learned something from that.
0:19:39 > 0:19:43This is a version that we now produce, this has gone
0:19:43 > 0:19:47through another few levels of development to get to this stage.
0:19:47 > 0:19:50We've got these rings, as well, so I don't have to use my teeth
0:19:50 > 0:19:53so much to do it, I can pull things tight with the ring.
0:19:53 > 0:19:56So, you would put the thing in your hand here,
0:19:56 > 0:20:00do that up tight, and then I have got a really good, firm
0:20:00 > 0:20:02grip on whatever I'm going to hold.
0:20:02 > 0:20:04That's genius.
0:20:04 > 0:20:08Rob's gripping aid means he can do things that most of us
0:20:08 > 0:20:10take for granted.
0:20:10 > 0:20:16Like, holding a saw to cut through a piece of wood, or, being able
0:20:16 > 0:20:20to grip a joystick so he can play and beat me at computer games.
0:20:20 > 0:20:23- Yeah!- Oh!- Game to me.
0:20:23 > 0:20:24As we have seen,
0:20:24 > 0:20:28it's really important to develop your idea by making prototypes,
0:20:28 > 0:20:33and by working out just who your invention is really for.
0:20:35 > 0:20:40Testing how well your invention works is absolutely crucial.
0:20:40 > 0:20:44Usually, you only discover how good your invention is by giving
0:20:44 > 0:20:46it to other people to try out.
0:20:50 > 0:20:52It's a really important stage.
0:20:52 > 0:20:56Having a great idea is easy, so actually developing it and
0:20:56 > 0:21:00testing it is actually the hard bit, but it's also the really fun bit.
0:21:00 > 0:21:03Testing is one of the most important things that you
0:21:03 > 0:21:05do as an inventor, as a designer.
0:21:05 > 0:21:06You'll come up with your first idea
0:21:06 > 0:21:10and you'll look at it as if there has been not a better product made.
0:21:10 > 0:21:14Testing is really, really important, because you could make a mistake,
0:21:14 > 0:21:17but you might not find out that you have made that mistake for a long time.
0:21:17 > 0:21:22If you haven't tested your invention, it is virtually nothing.
0:21:22 > 0:21:26Testing and retesting and refining something, is the best
0:21:26 > 0:21:31possible method of getting to the best possible solution.
0:21:31 > 0:21:33Now, you might think that inventors usually
0:21:33 > 0:21:38work in places like a lab, a workshop, or maybe even a shed.
0:21:38 > 0:21:42Well, I'm about to meet one who works on a ship,
0:21:42 > 0:21:45right here on the River Thames.
0:21:45 > 0:21:48Yusuf Muhammad creates many of his inventions on board
0:21:48 > 0:21:51his floating workshop, HMS President.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54This is where he does lots of testing.
0:21:54 > 0:21:58So, Yusuf, we have come onto your ship where you invent things.
0:21:58 > 0:22:02As an inventor, does working on a ship help you creatively?
0:22:02 > 0:22:05I think it does, it's just nice to be somewhere different
0:22:05 > 0:22:08something where you've got different lines, and different shapes.
0:22:08 > 0:22:10Things that you wouldn't normally see.
0:22:10 > 0:22:13And it's always good to get inspired by things that are different.
0:22:13 > 0:22:17Below the surface of the river, on the ship's lower deck,
0:22:17 > 0:22:20is where Yusuf builds and tests his ideas.
0:22:20 > 0:22:22So what is this invention that we're looking at here?
0:22:22 > 0:22:24Well, this is Automist.
0:22:24 > 0:22:26It automatically puts out fires in the home.
0:22:26 > 0:22:28How does that work?
0:22:28 > 0:22:31Well, you just have this little unit here which fits onto any
0:22:31 > 0:22:32normal tap in the kitchen,
0:22:32 > 0:22:35and then the whole system is triggered by a heat alarm.
0:22:35 > 0:22:38So, it detects the temperature in the room,
0:22:38 > 0:22:42it can tell that there is a fire, and then you get jets of water mist
0:22:42 > 0:22:46which fill the whole room and a fire can't survive in those conditions.
0:22:46 > 0:22:50Now, this final design looks absolutely fantastic, really slick
0:22:50 > 0:22:52and fits in with the tap.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55You must have gone through a lot of processes to
0:22:55 > 0:22:57get your invention looking this good.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59You wouldn't believe how much testing we had to go through,
0:22:59 > 0:23:02I mean, particularly with it being a safety product,
0:23:02 > 0:23:04you really have to make sure it works.
0:23:04 > 0:23:07But, initially, when we first came up with the idea,
0:23:07 > 0:23:10I was just in my back garden experimenting with
0:23:10 > 0:23:14a jet washer, and spraying mist just above the barbecue.
0:23:14 > 0:23:17Nice, so you were testing with your barbecue and a hose,
0:23:17 > 0:23:20and you call that work!
0:23:20 > 0:23:22So, can we see it in action?
0:23:22 > 0:23:25Sure, you might want to stand back a little bit, though.
0:23:25 > 0:23:28"Might want to stand back," I'm a bit worried about this.
0:23:29 > 0:23:31Ooh!
0:23:31 > 0:23:34SHE LAUGHS
0:23:34 > 0:23:36That shocked me!
0:23:36 > 0:23:41Ooh! For some reason I just didn't think it would be that powerful.
0:23:42 > 0:23:46They look like just little, small sprayers,
0:23:46 > 0:23:48but that was so powerful,
0:23:48 > 0:23:52you could just see how it would put out fires before they get big.
0:23:54 > 0:23:58Yusuf's invention shows that to be a successful inventor, you need
0:23:58 > 0:24:02to test your ideas as early as you can.
0:24:02 > 0:24:05And then keep testing the different stages of your design
0:24:05 > 0:24:06until it is finished.
0:24:16 > 0:24:21If at first you don't succeed, then try and try again.
0:24:21 > 0:24:24And that's the thing with inventing, sometimes the first thing
0:24:24 > 0:24:27that you come up with just doesn't work that well.
0:24:27 > 0:24:30So, how do you deal with that?
0:24:34 > 0:24:38There's a lot of inventors that have been very persistent,
0:24:38 > 0:24:41and they have not taken no for an answer.
0:24:41 > 0:24:44That, I think, is quite valuable, because it might be that the
0:24:44 > 0:24:47world is not ready for something that you have thought up.
0:24:47 > 0:24:49You have to be good at taking criticism, you have to be
0:24:49 > 0:24:52good at accepting that you're not always right first time.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55I think it's very important for inventors to, sort of, keep going,
0:24:55 > 0:24:59don't let anyone discourage you, use anything that someone says
0:24:59 > 0:25:03positively, and make it benefit you, and help you.
0:25:03 > 0:25:05It's by having a real passion and determination,
0:25:05 > 0:25:07that's what gets you over the hurdles.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10If you don't believe it, if you think, "Oh, I'm going to fail,
0:25:10 > 0:25:15"oh, I always fail," then you are determined to fail.
0:25:15 > 0:25:21If it doesn't work, then just change it a bit and try again.
0:25:21 > 0:25:25Inventor Dan Watson knows all about the value of persistence.
0:25:25 > 0:25:29He has been working on one invention for three years.
0:25:29 > 0:25:31It is called the escape ring.
0:25:31 > 0:25:34It is designed to fit into trawler nets
0:25:34 > 0:25:38and to stop fishermen catching fish before they are fully grown.
0:25:38 > 0:25:40There are several problems that they have, so,
0:25:40 > 0:25:43sometimes the nets don't catch the right fish, or they catch the small
0:25:43 > 0:25:46fish which you don't want to catch because you can't keep them, anyway.
0:25:46 > 0:25:48Small fish can't escape the net
0:25:48 > 0:25:51because of what happens to the net underwater.
0:25:51 > 0:25:53The meshes of the net close up,
0:25:53 > 0:25:56they get really tight when they're under tension.
0:25:56 > 0:25:57Oh, so, like when it's being pulled?
0:25:57 > 0:26:00Absolutely, so, literally, it's really hard for the fish
0:26:00 > 0:26:01to get through the mesh.
0:26:01 > 0:26:03The other problem is that sometimes fish don't
0:26:03 > 0:26:06know they are in the trawler net, because they can't see it,
0:26:06 > 0:26:07because it's so dark down there.
0:26:07 > 0:26:11But, Dan's invention tackles both these problems.
0:26:11 > 0:26:12It fits into the net,
0:26:12 > 0:26:14and you can see it holds the mesh really wide open.
0:26:14 > 0:26:18- Another feature of the ring is that it also lights up.- Lights up?
0:26:18 > 0:26:20Like an emergency exit, so they can really see it,
0:26:20 > 0:26:24so, if I switch this on, and then turn off the lights...
0:26:24 > 0:26:27you can see that actually it's quite well illuminated,
0:26:27 > 0:26:28- and they are able to see that.- Yes.
0:26:28 > 0:26:30So they swim towards that and check it out.
0:26:30 > 0:26:34And the fish can always come out, because it can fit through.
0:26:34 > 0:26:35I like that.
0:26:35 > 0:26:37Surely this isn't your first attempt,
0:26:37 > 0:26:41surely you had lots of prototypes before this?
0:26:41 > 0:26:43I went through a lot of prototypes, for instance,
0:26:43 > 0:26:45I started making my rings,
0:26:45 > 0:26:48and I made them out of what I thought was a very strong material,
0:26:48 > 0:26:49aluminium.
0:26:49 > 0:26:52It then turned out that when you put aluminium in the sea,
0:26:52 > 0:26:54it starts to erode, it starts to dissolve, basically,
0:26:54 > 0:26:57so I couldn't use that material.
0:26:57 > 0:27:00He tried lots of different materials and designs,
0:27:00 > 0:27:03he was able to keep making new versions of his escape ring
0:27:03 > 0:27:07using this amazing 3-D printing machine.
0:27:07 > 0:27:11So, this is probably attempt number, maybe 10, maybe 15.
0:27:11 > 0:27:13I mean, there's been a lot of them in the past.
0:27:13 > 0:27:15And I have some of them here, which I can show you.
0:27:15 > 0:27:17Can have a look?
0:27:17 > 0:27:20Dan went through all these different prototypes before it was right.
0:27:20 > 0:27:24His determination to overcome problems is impressive.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28I think you have to believe in your ideas, and you have to know
0:27:28 > 0:27:31that things are going to go wrong on the way, it happens to everybody.
0:27:31 > 0:27:34Whoever is making something, big companies, individual people,
0:27:34 > 0:27:35they all make mistakes.
0:27:35 > 0:27:39But the really important thing to do is to learn from those mistakes
0:27:39 > 0:27:40and use it to your advantage,
0:27:40 > 0:27:43because you might learn something completely new
0:27:43 > 0:27:46that nobody has ever seen before, but only because you tried.
0:27:47 > 0:27:52Dan's story shows how important persistence is for inventors.
0:27:52 > 0:27:57You've got to believe in your idea, and be able to deal with setbacks.
0:28:01 > 0:28:04We've seen how inventors come up with great ideas, develop
0:28:04 > 0:28:09and test them and keep going until their invention is perfected.
0:28:09 > 0:28:12And, if you, too, think you can be an absolute genius,
0:28:12 > 0:28:15then here are a few top tips.
0:28:15 > 0:28:17If you can find a problem that everybody has that hasn't
0:28:17 > 0:28:20been solved, and you can think of a way of solving that,
0:28:20 > 0:28:21then you really are on to a winner.
0:28:21 > 0:28:23Be creative and use your imagination.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26Try to make your idea as soon as possible, even if
0:28:26 > 0:28:28it's just out of a bit of cardboard or plasticine.
0:28:28 > 0:28:31Your invention has to work.
0:28:31 > 0:28:33Go out and find people who can help you,
0:28:33 > 0:28:34and simply ask them questions.
0:28:34 > 0:28:38Take it seriously, and keep on going no matter what.
0:29:01 > 0:29:04Subtitles by Red Bee Media Ltd