Half a croissant, on a plate, with a sign in front of it saying '50c'

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Acousti-Car
An Edison Design that never caught on
 
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Thomas Edison built a device around the turn of the last century that he called the phonomotor. It worked on similar principles to the phonograph, a sound induced vibration causes a needle to move and transfers the energy to a flywheel, causing it to spin. He considered there was sufficient energy in a small version to drill a hole in a wood wall... I say, let's put that energy to use in the form of an acoustically powered automobile. Mine would have a solar powered radio. Whenever I want to pass someone on the freeway, I just sing along and get an instant burst of horsepower. At a red light, I put the clutch in, so I won't miss the last part of my favorite song, and the best part of all is that it would be very difficult for a thief to steal my car, since he would have to make a hell of a lot of noise to get it started!

stringstretcher, Nov 07 2003

Make music from traffic http://www.halfbake...com/idea/Scootopera
Shameless plug. [Fishrat, Oct 04 2004]


Short name, e.g., Bob's Coffee

Destination URL. E.g., http://www.coffee.com/

Description (displayed with the short name and URL.)







       Unless you are equipped with Caruso-istic lungs, I imagine your singing would power no more than a drill. Even in NY/London traffic, noisy as it is, I doubt you could power much more than a pair of rollerblades.   

       Gets my croissant, though, just to see the resulting contraption.

DrCurry, Nov 07 2003
  

       Boss: "You're late!" Me:"No traffic!"

stringstretcher, Nov 07 2003
  

       Dammit, I love singing in the car and you've given me an excuse to do it even when others are present. Croissant for you.

Mistress Bling, Nov 07 2003
  

       Hey, I'll bet we can adapt it to power the shower!

stringstretcher, Nov 07 2003
  

       Can we adapt all household appliances to be powered by song?

Mistress Bling, Nov 07 2003
  

       Oh Betsy, Oh Betsy, Who's paint is faded blue
We've made it through bent fenders
and so much else 'to do'
But now hear how loudly
I plead for speed control
Can't you hear the sirens behind us
of the State Patrol?

Zimmy, Nov 08 2003
  

       Think about it. The closer they got the more energy you would get off the police the faster you would go. You could literally use the argument that they made you speed when you got to court (of course this doesn't mean the Judge would have to buy it either!).

soundman, Nov 09 2003
  

       How would you generate sound viberations big enough todo anything

jotter, Jan 15 2004
  


 
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