
2010's Most Innovative Tech Product Is Not a Damn Jetpack - J3L2404
http://www.technologyreview.com/blog/techspecs/26024/?p1=A4
======
oiujhygtfyhjuk
I hope the incubator works but I'm not hopeful.

Not only can you not sell it in the developed half of the world because
getting XXX approval would cost millions. You probably can't sell it if your
company is registered in the developed half of the world! Even if you have no
intention of selling it in the US, just tell your US corporate lawyers that
you plan on selling medical equipment anywhere and they will have kittens.

You can sell it in the the 3rd world (sorry - human resource rich) countries
but that means selling it either to a local government who will want a large
payment of approval fees, - generally in cash. Or to a UN style inter-
government aid agency which will want all the same sort of XXX approval as the
FDA but also requires the same sort sort of cash 'consultancy fees' on the
ground to actually get the stuff used.

I was involved in a similar project to make wheelchairs for mine victims -
it's legally a lot simpler to build and import/export the mines than the
wheelchairs.

The only way to get it used is to put the plans on the net and hope people
build it for themselves.

------
igrekel
Surprised to see sugru on the list.

I've had some for nearly a year now and although it has been extremely useful
from reshaping handles to rebuilding unavailable replacement parts. It is
close to being like duck tape... if only it hardened faster!

That being said, its not life changing and I wouldn't qualify it as most
innovative product.

------
RyanMcGreal
Does anyone have any experience playing with Sugru? Looks fascinating.

------
tomcat81
It's refreshing to see product based innovation instead of the dozens of
social media startups.

------
b_emery
And it's not "sticky silicone that's part Silly Putty, part duct tape". Robot
f'n cars people! Ok, maybe it doesn't qualify for 2010, but in terms of
quality of life impact, beats silly putty hands down.

------
icegreentea
The water-jet blade idea is innovative, but it's not revolutionary. Bomb
defusing robots are often equipped with water-jets to disrupt/cut through
bombs.

~~~
jessriedel
What is the purpose of using water rather than just some metal projectile? The
US army brings so much equipment, I can't imagine it's the fact that water is
particularly easier to come by than (say) a metal disk.

~~~
harry
Water doesn't ricochet like a high velocity metal disk would.

