TOPIC
Automation
Stories containing inventions related to Automation, tracing similar ideas across companies and years through patent drawings.
STORIES
Companies · Canon
In Canon's Patent Drawings, the Camera Keeps Moving Away From the Photographer.
A wearable camera, automatic tracking, a roaming network camera, camera-equipped robot hands, smart glasses, an MR headset, shared mixed reality, and live-video authenticity: nine Canon patents in which the camera stops being something a person simply holds.
Things · Sleep
The Sleeper Stays Still. Everything Around Them Starts Moving: 9 Sleep Patents
A pillow that moves your head when you snore, a light-emitting sleep mask, a two-chamber sleep pod, a rocking bed, a robotic bed maker, a bed that separates into a wheelchair, localized snore cancellation, ceiling projection tied to sleep state, and a sleeping bag connected to its own heat exchanger.
Things · Parenting
Baby Care, One Task at a Time: 9 Patents That Hand the Work to Machines
A baby carrier built onto a walking-assistance robot, a stroller that brakes when the adult lets go, a responsive sleep aid, automated formula preparation, a bottle that measures its contents, a diaper that distinguishes urine from feces, an automatic washer and diaper changer, camera-based respiration monitoring, and a pacifier that announces when it falls: nine patents that hand small pieces of baby care to machines.
Things · Bathrooms
The Toilet Seat as a Measuring Instrument, and Eight Other Patent Ideas
A toilet that personalizes light and sound, sensors that hunt for a urine stream, a urine analyzer built into the seat, camera-based health monitoring, a sealed analytical bowl, weight estimation from the seat, a cleaner that travels around the ring, a folding toilet-table, and a toilet that changes height for the user.
Companies · Walmart
Carts Assist, Robots Scan, Drones Deliver: Walmart Patents for a Store That Moves Itself
A cart handle that reads biometrics, a power-assisted cart, an aisle-following unmanned vehicle, shelf-scanning robots, a fully automated store, modular drones, mobile lockers and drone delivery: ten Walmart patent drawings in which retail work starts moving on its own.
Things · Pets
Read the Bark, Take the Walk: 10 Patents Automating Pet Care
From bark-based emotion analysis and smart collars to remote video calls, a dog-scratching robot arm, self-play ball launchers, an autonomous dog-walking vehicle, automatic washing, and a rotating litter box: ten patents that move pieces of pet care from people to machines.