Long before "innovation" became a corporate buzzword, true inventors were tinkering away in garages and workshops, creating solutions to problems we didn't even know we had.
Remember a world where someone thought, "You know what would make driving safer? A giant shovel attached to the front of cars to scoop up pedestrians!"
These forgotten contraptions range from the genuinely useful (the Morrison shelter saved countless lives during WWII bombing raids) to the downright bizarre (a mechanical cat-meowing machine, anyone?).
Some inventions, like plastic face protection for snowstorms, made perfect sense until better options came along, while others—like the one-wheel motorcycle—make us wonder if safety regulations existed at all.
This fascinating collection showcases human ingenuity at its most creative, practical, and occasionally questionable, reminding us that the road to progress is paved with some truly odd experiments.
#1 A British Couple Sleeps Inside A "Morrison Shelter” Used As Protection From Collapsing Homes During The Wwii 'Blitz' Bombing Raids... March 1941
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7points
#2 Plastic Face Protection From Snowstorms And Cold. Montreal, Canada, 1939
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6points
#3 One Wheel Motorcycle, By M. Goventosa De Udine
Maximum speed: 150 kilometers per hour ( 93 Mph).
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6points
#4 Cat-Mew Machine
The Cat-Mew Machine was a bizarre Japanese invention from the 1960s designed to scare away mice. It repeatedly played a recorded “meow” to trick rodents into thinking a cat was nearby—though it’s unclear if the mice actually fell for it.
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6points
#7 Hamblin Glasses. A Pair Of Spectacles Especially Designed For Reading In Bed. England, 1936
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5points
#10 Amphibious Bike 'The Cyclomer', A Bicycle That Can Ride On Land And Water With A Load Of Up To 120 Kilos, Paris, 1932
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5points
#11 Early Tripmaster
Sort of TomTom, early tripmaster: rolling key map. The map passes the screen in a tempo that depends on the speed of the car.
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5points
#12 All Terrain Car
All terrain car able to descend slopes up to 65 degrees. England, 1936.
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5points
#13 Fold-Out Piano, Specially Designed For Bedridden Patients. Great Britain, 1935
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4points
#14 Folding Bridge For Emergencies, Invented By L. Deth. The Emergency Bridge Can Easily Be Transported On A Handcart. The Netherlands, Location Unknown, 1926
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4points
#15 In 1955, This Tiny Electric Narrow Gauge Train Was Installed In New York’s Holland Tunnel To Monitor Traffic Speed
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4points
#16 Jess Dixon In His Flying Automobile
Built by Jess Dixon of Andalusia, Ala. Can fly forward, backward or straight up or hover in the air. Runs on road or flys across country. 40 H.P. motor, air cooled, speeds to 100 m.p.h. Kobel Feature Photos, Frankfort, Ind.,1940
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4points
#17 Doctor Vilhelm Irgens Pettersson Demonstrates His New Invention; A Baby Carriage That Can Climb Stairs. 26 November 1956
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4points
#18 Electrically Heated Vest For The Traffic Police In The United States. The Power Is Generated Via Contact On The Street. Location Unknown, 1932
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4points
#20 Wooden Bathing Suits, Supposed To Make Swimming A Lot Easier. Haquian, Washington, United States, 1929
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4points