Help Brazilian inventor to develop and improve his ideas
By João Pinheiro (@jpcppinheiro) and Paul Gannam
The Brazilians have invented many prototypes [see our inventions by clicking here] and still have a lot to invent. But a kickstart could be necessary currently. Check out the inventions of this Brazilian, who only need a little help to be created!
Electronic system of communication between vehicles, improved emery board, lateral parking sensor, these are some of Paul Gannam’s ideas. Graduated in journalism at the Taubaté University (Brazil) and specialist in drug addiction at the Institute of Psychiatry of São Paulo University (USP), his real passion is the creation, the patent application, negotiation and marketing of products.
This passion started when he was still studying journalism and wrote for a blog the article “Masterpiece rubber”. In the text, Paulo said he was introduced to a Galoshes by his uncle, who brought it from his farm.
The object was severely damaged, but the benefit of its use has brought a reflection: Why not improve it? “I think there I was beginning to blossom this inventive enthusiasm”, said Paulo.
His first invention — or attempt — was a machine for the production of cream for acai in the bowl. Big fan of this appetizer, even thought about opening a business and sell his own product. However, manual production of cream would delay the whole process and the inventor realize that a machine could expedite that.
“I spent almost a year with a technician trying to build the machine, but the maximum we could have were successives ‘explosions’ of the gadget, and I had to abandon the idea because had no more money to invest”, said the inventor.
From this attempt, Paulo didn’t stop anymore having ideas. They arise spontaneously and with enough idleness, because idleness allows entering a “inventive frequency”, when you becomes to observe how things work and the behavior of people in a very different way. You becomes more sensitive to capture a person’s needs and the objects working deficiency.
Paulo’s projects
Currently, Paul has 4 conceptual patents filed with the INPI [Brazilian National Institute of Industrial Property].
They are four concepts of new products, waiting opinion of the institute, which does not prevent them from being launched into the market, through a specific contract which is based on the idea of expectation of receipt of the letter patent. This is called License Agreement for Deposited Patent Exploration.
Besides these, he has over 800 “raw” ideas which have not been well described, developed or patented. Investors can access by signing a confidentiality agreement, to the effect that the ideas exchanged between the parties will be only there, providing security and don’t giving patent rights to those who listen ideas. Read the following excerpts from the official releases of its inventions with the patent application:
↪ Traffic Cooperation System
Traffic accidents occur all the time. According to the Brazilian Traffic Portal, a traffic accident occurs every 57 seconds. Right now, someone may be losing the life by another driver distraction, by a problem in your own vehicle, or by don’t know some situation ahead on a highway that will unleash damage to several drivers and passengers.
To reduce accidents caused by problems in traffic and in vehicles, the inventor developed the “Traffic Cooperation System”. This is an electronic system of instant communication that alerts any identifiable problem in a vehicle with objective sentences. Communication is done by the users of another vehicle which also dispose of the device. Some examples: brake light burned, flat tire, reverse light burned.
The device also facilitates the rapid exchange of information between drivers, who can alert each other about problems identified in highways, such as accidents and animals ahead, fire, fog, etc.
This system will prevent major accidents and will help create a friendly and cooperative mood in traffic. Each message will have a number, identified on the dashboard through buttons that, when pressed, activate the exact message you want to send to the receiver, don’t taking the driver’s attention because of its easy and agile handling.
Another advantage of the invention: will enable the exchange of instant information between police, fire department and other government institutions related to traffic in order to also facilitate the exchange of important information between citizens and government institutions about accidents, weather problems and other situations related to traffic and vehicles.
↪ Remember that this system does not allow sending illegal messages. They will be pre-recorded messages to be defined by the manufacturer.
↪ Lateral Parking Sensor
Many people find it difficult to pull over or park your car and end up damaging the wheels and vehicle tires on the curb. Other, even well prepared to perform the task, once in a while end up making some slip and become upset with the result.
To reduce the aesthetic risks that can happen in this situation, the inventor has developed a “lateral parking sensor next to the curb”. This is a sensor that tells the time when the driver is close to touch the tire or wheel on the curb, in any kind of movement [with or without the use of reverse gear].
The invention allows early and accurate knowledge from a safe distance between tire/wheel and the curb, providing a safety margin when parking the car by removing that wear on the tires and wheels through scratches, breaks and stains.
This project brings several advantages, including: convenience, ease, tranquility and greater security for those people who like to protect their cars as much as possible, keeping your vehicle always valued and in a good condition.
↪ Nail Protector for Onychophagia Carriers
Many people have the bad habit of biting your nails compulsively until get hurt [onychophagia] and can hardly inhibit it, except for the use of medications and other therapies.
About 19% to 45% of the population, ranging according to the age, has this habit. Currently, there is already a kind of “nail polish” that, by having bad taste, reduces the urge to nail biting. Still, there are people who bite their nails with it.
Thinking about it, the inventor, a assumed nails rodent, developed a “Nail Protector for Onychophagia Carriers”. This is a film that takes the user nails discreetly and elegantly, without causing discomfort at all, because they cover only the nails without disturbing the touch, and can be used by men and women.
Some models of the invention have a pressure system over the desired region with holes to allow for greater transpiration. Others have a circular base pressure to make the remainder of the fabric that covers the nails be smooth, avoiding discomfort in a larger region of the fingers.
According to the inventor, the nail protector inhibits a “self-destructive” habit and encourages to begin identifying what feelings are involved at the time he wants to nail biting automatically.
“Can you tell me: Just get the protector and destroy all the nails. It’s true, but this shield is focused to the public that already has intention to stop biting and this is a way to help the user to keep the commitment to change this behavior”, he explains.
Success × Failure
Paulo is an early career inventor. The four pending patent projects are in dissemination stage yet. There are about three years he has been presenting these projects for companies, especially through social networks focused on business. Only then, he has access to professionals from the relevant departments of the companies, in order to get a closer trade relations. Being inventor in Brazil, he said, has many obstacles for 3 basic reasons:
- There is no plan that supports in fact the independent inventor with resources that he may carry out a technical and economic feasibility study of its design and development of a physical prototype.
In most cases, support programs are geared only for companies, legal entities, “as the focus should be on companies, rather than on innovation and quality of the project that is being talked about, which can move a lot of money”.
Over 60% of everything that was invented or perfected in the world to date was from independent inventors. In Brazil, there is no concern with a good anonymous idea. If you are not covenant to a research center, university or corporation, will not receive a penny and will have to walk a lonely path, rocky and often lengthy until find a partner for your project.
- The Brazilian entrepreneur has more conservative profile. They prefer the short and medium term returns, and has little venture capital to invest.
A new idea requires investment in machinery, product development models, marketing planning, etc. This makes the company get out of the script that was planned and may take a few years until, in fact, the product be launched in the market and bring the desired return.
- There are companies whose policy does not allow the entry of ideas from outside, because they already have research departments and development of new products in its structure.
Others, however, are beginning to adapt to what has been called “open innovation”, which is the possibility of the company to bring innovation and increase your profits based on ideas coming from outside, accepting that the world has many thinking heads and that ideas arise all the time in or out of these organizations.
I liked! How can I help?
For inventions with patent pending at the INPI, which went through a feasibility filter of an expert in marketing of new projects, the aim of the inventor is to license these patents to a branch manufacturer. This gives the manufacturer exclusivity in your line of business, higher added value, free of competition, valuation of intangible assets of your company and up to 20 years of law of industrial/commercial exploitation.
For other ideas, that will depend largely on investor. “I don’t command branches of administration and economy as to I say to the investor ‘this idea will work and that no, categorically. I am inventor, and what comes to my mind is random. The only rating is an apparent need identified for which specific product has not yet been created”.
For these almost 800 raw ideas, the ideal would be to talk to young entrepreneurs, start-ups, and who are interested in starting a project of a new product from scratch. Inventor and company would participate together in the whole process, perhaps forming society, patenting the invention and coming to market together.
Are you interested in help Paulo? Contact him from his email or his LinkedIn. The #CuriosoInEnglish wishes success to the inventor. We hope that their inventions could enter the market soon.
