The Husband Detector

Dr. Gordon Volkenant seems like he was quite the character. In 1947, he invented a gadget he called the "husband detector." It was basically a motion detector, designed to help wives catch their husbands who were trying to sneak unheard into the house after a late night at the bar. When it sensed someone coming through the door, it set off a loud siren. link: Pittsburgh Press



Volkenant promptly became the first husband to be caught by his own device, when it rang the alarm as he tried to sneak into his house at 3 a.m. link: Washington Reporter

And based on the look of him, I'm guessing he wasn't just at the bar until 3 a.m. Here he is in 1948 demonstrating another of his gadgets, which he called an "electronic humidistat." He claimed it could detect hosiery defects in nylon stockings when he waved it up and down a woman's leg. It looks a lot like a regular lightbulb to me. I'm sure he found it necessary to test on many women.

Posted By: Alex - Wed Apr 25, 2012 - Comments (7)
Category: Inventions, Lies, Dishonesty and Cheating, Husbands

How to turn your toaster into a hair dryer

(Popular Mechanics via This Circular Parade)

Posted By: Alex - Tue Apr 17, 2012 - Comments (6)
Category: Inventions

Rube Goldberg Contraption Uncorks Bottle and Pours Wine

These should be standard in every dining room.

Posted By: Alex - Mon Apr 16, 2012 - Comments (5)
Category: Inventions, Rube Goldberg Devices

Robotic Anti-Snoring Bear Pillow

Robotic bear will reach out and stroke your face so gently as you sleep.

Posted By: Alex - Wed Apr 04, 2012 - Comments (3)
Category: Inventions, Chindogu, Sleep and Dreams

Robot Bass Player

More info and another video to be found here.

Posted By: Paul - Sun Apr 01, 2012 - Comments (2)
Category: Inventions, Music, Technology, Performance Art, Europe

Sauna Pants

Who wouldn't want a sauna in their pants? Get yours from Amazon. Here's a testimonial from one of the reviews:

Posted By: Alex - Thu Mar 29, 2012 - Comments (5)
Category: Exercise and Fitness, Health, Inventions

Mechanical Hair-Brusher

I came across this description of a mechanical hair-brush published in Chambers's Journal of Popular Literature, Nov. 23, 1863. It operated by means of "an endless band of vulcanised india-rubber... that descends to within about a foot of your head and is made to revolve by machinery." Here's a description of it in action:


Evidently mechanical hair-brushes never caught on, because the only picture of one I could find was this:

Posted By: Alex - Tue Mar 20, 2012 - Comments (18)
Category: Beauty, Ugliness and Other Aesthetic Issues, Inventions, Hair Styling

Flame Glove

Here's a variation on the old buzzer-hidden-in-the-palm-of-your-hand prank. It's a flame thrower in the palm of your hand!

Posted By: Alex - Sat Feb 25, 2012 - Comments (5)
Category: Inventions, Technology, Weapons

Pneumatic Quantitative Kink Enema Machine

This may be a piece of standard medical equipment, but it struck me as a bit odd. Perhaps it's just the chinglish description. From zcruiheng.cn:

Posted By: Alex - Fri Feb 17, 2012 - Comments (13)
Category: Hygiene, Inventions, Medicine

The Extraordinary Catalog of Peculiar Inventions

I've just finished reading the fine book about weird fraternal lodge devices from a century ago. It would make a fine gift for any WU-vie.

Posted By: Paul - Sat Dec 10, 2011 - Comments (5)
Category: Clubs, Fraternities and Other Self-selecting Organizations, Inventions, Books, 1900s, 1910s, 1920s, 1930s, Pranks, Nineteenth Century