8pm Wednesday, 02 April 2008

Hosted by the ebullient James O'Loghlin, The New Inventors highlights the brightest new inventions in Australia.

Tonight's show features new ideas on how to: perfect your paddling; make a roof with a perfect pitch; and get your back, back in shape.
Deciding the winner of these three inventions are: engineer James Bradfield Moody, designer Alison Page and futurist Mark Pesce.
Inventions featured on the program:
Invention 1 - EXCALIBUR E2 by inventor Geoff Germon from Sydney
In the highly competitive sport of dragon boat racing there are 20 people all with flailing paddles. So how can a coach tell which team members are not performing? That's the problem Geoff Germon wanted to solve with his carbon fibre data paddle. When a paddler uses the Excalibur E2 its built-in strain and positional sensors take 100 measurements a second, feeding data on the force being applied by the paddler and the paddle’s position in the water to a memory unit for later analysis by a coach. That's a lot of paddling, and a lot of information to help everyone pull their weight. Excalibur E2 - keeps paddlers on stroke.
Invention 2 - ROOFING PROTRACTOR by inventor Derek Pater from Melbourne
For thousands of years roof builders have been struggling with complex calculations, working out the various angles they need to cut to make a roof fit together. It's amazing that none of them has devised a better way, til now. Roofing carpenter Derek Pater has invented the Roofing Protractor. It's a tool which makes the process of calculating and marking exact angles to be cut, simpler and faster; and it's quickly adjustable for any timber size and roof pitch. Derek's invention does away with the roofer's table book and makes making roofs a lot faster. Roofing Protractor - makes perfect pitch roofing.
Invention 3 - POSTURE PALS by inventor Ryan Kendrick from NSW
Got a pain in the back? You're not alone, back pain is the second most common reason people go to see their GP. For most of us the problem comes from being just too lazy to hold the correct posture; it's just easier to be a slouch. It's prompted physiotherapist Ryan Kendrick to come up with Posture Pals - an adhesive spinal support that can be used in your own home. When applied to the back they exert a gentle correcting force that prompts the wearer to actively improve their posture. Keep them on your back for five days and your body will learn to feel comfortable when upright and awkward when slouched. Posture Pal - gets your back, back in shape.
The New Inventors will be repeated on ABC2 - Friday, April 4 at 4pm