Someone Ought to Invent...
A device for the elderly and persons with a (um, let's call it) "corporate" presence.
To begin with, one may need to grasp an object. So perhaps for many objects, some 3-fingered protrusion could lay hold of it, then retract to the recipient.
Other objects may not be so graspable. However, they may possess a smooth surface to which a suction cup or a vacuum could be affixed. Again retraction and, Voila!
Finally, a closing scoop like a piece of construction equipment. Jaws from either side of the object scoop it up and (you guessed it) retract.
Oh. Finally? Well there is one more thing. The device should be affordable by the fiscally disadvantaged - those lacking pecuniary emoluments...
Image Credit » https://pixabay.com/photos/western-old-timer-history-man-962576/
Comments
MegL wrote on November 16, 2019, 1:46 AM
That sounds a bit like a "litter picker". We have a group called the "Wombles" in our town, named after a children's TV programme of the same name (the theme song can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWQMMPFtoG4 ) . The Wombles pick up litter and the local group pick up litter around our town. They use a litter picker which can grasp items then retract to bring them closer. There are also suction reacher grabbers on Amazon. I don't think there is a single item with all those attributes but maybe there should be.
1VinceSummers wrote on November 16, 2019, 8:18 AM
Yes. And it just goes to show... Whenever I think up something, it's already been thought up. There's nothing new beneath the sun. Murphy says, "There's nothing YOU can't think of that hasn't already been invented." Somehow it's a corollary of Murphy's Law.
MegL wrote on November 16, 2019, 3:07 PM
LOL. The better mouse trap eludes me constantly!
1lookatdesktop wrote on November 21, 2019, 9:21 AM
Exactly! I bought one of those gadgets. I used it to pick up liter along the median on the street in front of our house. It comes in handy when getting something that fell behind the washing machine, as I do not enjoy moving that heavy washing machine to retrieve something that has fallen behind it. I just had an idea. How about connecting the litter picker to a long tube connected to the end of a vacuum cleaner? It would provide suction and the picker would do the picking. Well, it's just an idea.
1lookatdesktop wrote on November 21, 2019, 9:22 AM
The SUPER DUPER POOPER SCOOPER comes to mind. How about using a wood dowel with a sticky trap on the end? You can pick up things that stick to the sticky trap but trying to remove them after might be a problem.
MegL wrote on November 22, 2019, 2:40 AM
It's those kinds of ideas (often born out of an incident where nothing you had to hand helped) that can sometimes be turned into something useful, especially where a few people are bouncing ideas of each other. VinceSummers started it and now you are continuing it.
1MegL wrote on November 22, 2019, 8:30 AM
Article on Yahoo might interest you, following this discussion. lookatdesktop and vincesummers
https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/how-to-have-good-ideas-according-to-science-102131775.html