Innovation Sighting in Barcelona
I'm uploading some more shots from my trip to Barcelona, and I ran across three things I've been meaning to blog about. Each represent innovative thought, two solve common problems and one is just outright cool. Check them out:
1. The Dyson Airblade:
I think we all know that one of the worst designed and most annoying products out there is the bathroom hand dryer. They never get your hands dry, and they leave you longing for effective, yet not environmentally friendly, paper towels. In Spain, as I've mentioned before, paper towels are rare, and pretty much non-existent in public restrooms.
So James Dyson, the guy who makes those Dyson vacuum cleaners, decided to solve the hand dryer issue by creating the Dyson Airblade. The Airblade uses two "blades" of high-speed air to pull the air off of your hands. In 10 seconds, your hands are perfectly dry. It works so well, I got my hands wet again just so I could use it twice.
2. The Fast Food Trash Can Handle
Ok, this one is so stupid it's genius. If you've been to a fast food restaurant, I know you've had to do the super-fast tray-in-trash shove. Well someone decided that was dumb, and made put a handle on the trash door. Suddenly, you can get your trash in the can without having to touch the nasty door or slam the tray and hope for the best.
Seriously - good thinking here.
3. The Ariel Atom
I posted about the Ariel Atom a couple years ago - but I got to see one in the flesh exoskeleton at a hotel at the beach. Seriously beautiful, simple, and made to go fast. Love it.
