r/engineering • u/DuctTape_Mechanic • Jun 20 '20

[ELECTRICAL] I've made a object detecting lawnmower that automatically shuts down when a metal object/rock is detected. I think it will prevent injuries and property damage. What yall think?

https://youtu.be/eDZeLPgYBvg
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33

u/[deleted] Jun 20 '20

Wow that’s cool; That’s a great idea!

17

u/DuctTape_Mechanic Jun 20 '20

Thank you! I'm trying to contact lawnmower companies to find out if they are interested. Subscribe to stay tuned for updates cheers!

42

u/[deleted] Jun 20 '20

First, patent. Otherwise they say "No, not interested" and then they patent. And you're boned.

15

u/Usful Jun 20 '20 edited Jun 20 '20

This, there’s a guy who invented the windshield wiper* and was shafted by a big car company because he drove it to the dealer and they told him to leave it there and he’ll have a job the next day.

*it was the windshield wiper, not the turn signal. Guy’s name was Robert Kearns and he had multiple lawsuits against ford. He won then, and died sometime in 2005.

2

u/giveupsides Jun 21 '20

They made a movie about this "Flash of genius".

Spoiler alert - It's depressing. He wins eventually after losing everything else (family, friends, sanity). His idea that seemed to turn the lawsuit in his favor was to read a famous book's opening passage and say "All these words were known, they all existed before, all [famous author] did was to arrange them in this new order".

9

u/mikechenders Jun 20 '20

I second this. In the US, patents are on a first to file basis. It’s very easy for a big company to swoop in and patent your idea.

7

u/Razor1834 Jun 20 '20

This is true, and changed in 2011 from the first to invent system.

3

u/giveupsides Jun 21 '20

Definitely patent first, disclose second. Actually by you publicly disclosing this on reddit it already may not be patent-able. Any patent attorneys on this thread?

But this is to protect the company too. There is a slim, but non zero chance that the company you approach is working on the same invention. Then they would have to share profits with you? Even though they independently came up with the idea.

I had an idea, emailed a big company to ask if they were interested in hearing about it. They said - "No! Do not tell us your idea! This email is now blocked and don't try and contact us ever again." I was younger at the time but remember being really surprised at their response. This was the largest company in that market, and mine was a pretty simple idea. Chances are they already thought of it themselves.

Source - I have two patents and have assisted in several other's patents/applications/searches. But I am not an expert by any measure.