Teen Invents Footwear That Will Charge Your Phone As You Walk

[froggyboy604]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uc4CD1aEFwE

Angelo Casimiro is only 15, but he just invented electricity-generating footwear—as you walk or run about, your shoes will generate power that can be used to charge your phone or any small battery-powered device.
The footwear was Casimiro's entry to Google's Science Fair this year.

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A shoe which can generate power to charge a phone is a pretty good idea.

 

[Lienx]

Damn asians! But this is a great idea. Think of the things we could accomplish if simple things we do in our every day lives granted us energy so we wouldn't have to worry about costs of electricity and such.

 

[Demon_Skeith]

Damn, that kid is about to become a millionaire.

 

[froggyboy604]

Damn, that kid is about to become a millionaire.

I agree he is going to be rich, or already richer than the average kid from his inventions, and prize money from

 

[gamerboy]

I think that he will become really really rich if and when his idea takes off. Its so simple the idea that some of these people come up with. Makes you ask yourself all the time why couldn't I think of that.

 

[froggyboy604]

I think if he has a website, YouTube channel and blog about his inventions, he would be rich very soon, or at least richer than most people in their teens and twenties.

I watch a few YouTube inventors like Kipkay, House Hold Hacker, and Crazy Russian Hacker. They are not very rich, but probably make enough money from YouTube Ads, Ads and selling stuff on their own website, and sponsorships from companies where they don't need to find a daily job, so they can continue making invention videos on making stuff on YouTube.

 

[Black Angel]

This is definitely a good idea, one that is sure to increase the problems from those who already text and walk, but unless this kid has an iron-clad patent and a good team of lawyers, he is sure to get screwed.

A big name company will make him a low ball offer for this innovation (by their standards, but the kid will think that the figure is astronomical) and the patents and any associated trademarks, etc., and one of 2 scenarios is likely to occur..

A. If the kid takes the offer, they will either sit on the patent, and sue anyone that tries to make something similar or they will implement it into their own products and charge a mint and make a shit load of money in profits, and copyright infringement victories.. 

or 

B. If he doesn't, then they will make something very similar to his, offer a few extra features, and charge people probably less than half of what the kid would charge, just to devalue his invention. If the kid doesn't make enough money from his invention, then he will likely end up selling it and the rights to it, for a hell of a lot less than what he was originally offered, and then proceed with scenario A.

 

[froggyboy604]

Kickstarter and Indiegogo crowd funding could be a good option for this inventor to raise money to hire a factory to build his product, so he can build and ship his footware to backers while still making a profit on each sale.

 

[Black Angel]

I do think that crowdfunding is a good way to start, and while it has been helpful to those who need it, I feel that the practice is quickly becoming abused.

I mean it is starting to become a means of begging people for money and not always for the best of reasons. (See the campaign started by the [married] "Hot Convict's" mom for reference.) The guy deserves to be UNDER the jail for his crimes and his [not-so-innocent] mother (who has priors and a rap sheet of her own) is using his viral sex appeal to manipulate the [equally stupid and desperate] women who are caterwauling after him like cats in heat to give him money to get legal counsel for a new hearing. He's already been mirandized, and so the onus is on the court to provide legal counsel if he cannot afford it, not intellectually stunted, sexually deprived women, since that is how the law works.

I don't believe for a second that he isn't still active with the gang because if he weren't he would have tried to distance himself from his prior affiliations. He still has his tattoos and there is really only one way you can leave a gang.. feet first and in a body bag..

but then again, if these women are stupid enough to lust after and throw their money at this guy, then they are probably dumb enough to believe whatever his mother is saying..

I think that stupid shit like this is the reason that crowdsourcing will see its days of being an effective and legitimate  means of generating revenue numbered.

 

[froggyboy604]

Crowd funding could still be better than taking out big loans from a bank with high interest rates, and other fees, so the inventer of the product end up raising prices for his products when launched to pay back the interest, and bank fees.

Crowd funding could be more affordable option for both the inventor, and pledgers. people who make pledges for $100 could get a product like a pair of power generating shoes. People who make smaller pledges like $5-10 get a keychain, or t-shirt in return for a pledge.

Big companies like Nike would probably sell a pair of shoes which can generate power for a huge price like $500 instead of paying $100 for a regular pair of power generator shoes which used Kickstarter.

Kickstarter Products like the Ouya may cost more than $99 if they used a bank for getting a loan because they would need to sell consoles at a higher price to quickly pay back the loans, interests, and fees.

I think it is generally better to use crowdfunding for funding, or buying physical products, or services like movie tickets, web hosting, and online magazines when the product has launched.

I think bigger crowd funding sites like Kickstarter, and Indiegogo has moderators which shut down suspicous Crowd funding campaigns which maybe a scam. But, some of the smaller crowd funding sites may have no or very little moderation, so they let members take advantage of their site to scam others.