8pm Wednesday, 16 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 - take a wheelchair on the open road, keep a jetty looking shipshape, and collapse your driveway gate as it opens.
Deciding the winner of these three inventions are: agricultural scientist - Chris Russell, designer - Alison Page and futurist - Mark Pesce.
Inventions featured on the program:
Invention 1 - EVERYDAY SCOOTER COMMUTER by inventors Bill and Rodney Coker from NSW
A shared love of golf drove this father and son team to invent a trailer that could take a motorised wheelchair anywhere a car can go. It began when Rodney wanted to drive his father Bill to the golf course, but Bill wanted to take his motorised wheelchair with him so he could get around the course. Together they invented the Everyday Scooter Commuter - a trailer designed to transport powered wheelchairs or scooters behind a car. It can be folded up for easy storage when not in use. Everyday Scooter Commuter: takes a wheelchair on the open road.
Invention 2 - BARNACLE GUARD by inventors Robert and Charlie Castrogiovanni from QLD
If you've just bought that waterfront property with a jetty, you'll soon notice things beginning to grow on the pylons - they're barnacles and they can ruin a floating jetty. Rather than spend their leisure time scraping them off Robert and Charlie Castrogiovanni had the brainwave of getting the water to do the work for them. Their Barnacle Guard is a ring that is fitted around a pontoon pylon. As it floats up and down with the action of the waves it constantly 'scrubs' the pylon free of marine life! Goodbye barnacles! Barnacle Guard: keeps a jetty looking shipshape.
Invention 3 - TELE-mech by inventor Grant Meffan from VIC
There's always been a problem with driveway gates - they take up a lot of room and, as suburban home blocks shrink, who's got room for a swinging gate, or even a sliding one anymore? That's why Grant Meffan came up with TELE-mech. It's a telescoping gate system that allows your driveway gate to fit into a very small space - it requires only half the width of the gate in the 'shut' position. TELE-mech: puts long gates in small spaces.
The New Inventors is repeated on ABC2 - Friday, April 18 at 4pm
