| Description |
1 online resource (streaming video file) (26 min. 56 sec.) ; 162600905 bytes |
| Summary |
Hosted by James O'Loghlin, The New Inventors highlights the latest contemporary creations from the new generation of inventors, innovators and designers. Deciding the winner of these three inventions are: designer and inventor Sally Dominguez, woodworker and teacher Richard Vaughan, and materials engineer Veena Sahajwalla. Inventions featured on the program: SLINGSHOT - by inventor Brett White from NSWWe'd all like an alternative to fuel-guzzling cars, but electric cars can cost over $120,000, and most people aren't keen to ride a bike over long distances every day, rain or shine. So what if there was a way to combine the speed, power and comfort of a car, with the affordability and environmental sustainability of a bicycle? Brett White, from the Hunter Valley, has been building electric bicycles since 1991, constantly striving to transform electric bikes into a personal commuter vehicle. He originally began building a manual three-wheeled recumbent bike, but over the years his inventiveness took charge.The Slingshot is a reliable, all-weather, lightweight electric vehicle, constructed from inexpensive electronic bike components. The design utilises unique construction techniques to produce a complex and original aerodynamic shape. The Slingshot is fully enclosed, so it can be used comfortably even if it's raining. With an energy usage of approximately 25wh/km, the vehicle is extremely efficient, achieving 5 times better economy than the Toyota Prius in electric mode, which uses approximately 125wh/km. And for all those wondering if an electric bicycle can ever challenge the speed of a traditional motor car, the Slingshot can achieve speeds of 85km per hour, and as James's run-in with the studio set demonstrates, there's more than enough power behind this invention.GRANEX - by inventors Behdad Moghtaderi and Elham Doroodchi from NSWGeothermal energy is often cited as a future source of electricity generation, yet there are barriers preventing this potential technology from becoming a reality. Within Australia, if we harness even 1% of our geothermal resources, we could supply the country with electricity for 26,000 years. Husband and wife inventing team, Professor Behdad Moghtaderi and Dr Elham Doroodchi, have developed technology that could be the key to unleashing the vast reserves of renewable energy that geothermal promises. Granex can deliver a 40% improvement in both thermal efficiency and power generation, increasing the amount of electricity that can be generated from low-grade heat sources such as geothermal. EZY-LIFTER - by inventor Marc Pafumi from QLDLifting floorboards is backbreaking work and takes a long time. Most workers use a crowbar to lever each board off every floor joist. The job often requires several other tools too, including chisels, flat bars, hammers, roofing shovels, scrapers, nail pullers, shingle removers, staple pullers and wrecking bars. The Ezy-Lifter is a tool for the easy removal of floor boards. Its unique crocodile-mouth design creates leverage, allowing the worker to lift three boards in one pull, drastically reducing the amount of time required to finish the job |
| Notes |
Closed captioning in English |
| Event |
Broadcast 2010-04-14 at 20:00:00 |
| Notes |
Classification: G |
| Subject |
Electric vehicles -- Design and construction.
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Geothermal resources -- Multiple use.
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Inventions.
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Technological innovations.
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Weight lifters.
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New South Wales -- Hunter River Valley.
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Queensland.
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| Form |
Streaming video
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| Author |
Dominguez, Sally, contributor
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Doroodchi, Elham, contributor
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Moghtaderi, Behdad, contributor
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O'loghlin, James, host
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Pafumi, Marc, contributor
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Sahajwalla, Veena, contributor
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Vaughan, Richard, contributor
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White, Brett, contributor
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