The common stereotypes when it comes to the innovative invention industry is that the all inventions that are useful to the world were made by man and man alone. This is not so today. Within the last century women have become more empowered than ever before and with that empowerment has come a desire to invent things that make their lives and the lives of other people easier than ever before. CGI as well as 3D printing have allowed for new inventions to come to the market all the time. Yet, to give you inspiration to the new, let us take a look at a few everyday inventions which were inspired by women.
The Dishwasher
The women of the world throughout history have been plagued with the fact that once the meal they have so painstakingly prepared had been devoured by the family, the task of cleaning all of the dishes was up to them and them alone. One woman however grew so tired of handwashing the dishes day after day that she had the foresight to invent a machine to take the work from her tired hands. In 1972 Josephine Cochran invented the first dishwasher to the masses. Although this dishwasher did not look the same as the amazing power packed models that we have today, it was a significant problem solver and the world has Mrs. Cochran to thank for it all.
Circular Saw
This device has been one of the most influential tools in areas where construction needs to happen fast. In the old days of construction, it was up to the men working to cut each and every board by hand. As taxing as construction is today, one could imagine the amount of effort and strain on the body it took to cut wood by hand. One would think that an invention for construction such as the circular saw would have been invented by a tired overworked man, but it was none other than Tabitha Babbitt that decided she was tired of seeing the men working so hard and in 1812 the circular saw was invented making construction tasks far less labor intensive and faster than ever before to complete.
Kevlar
Law enforcement and military operations have always been dangerous to say the least. These brave men and women put themselves in harm’s way every day to keep the rest of us safe from harm. Kevlar is metal wire type material that is commonly used in tires and even crash test products. It is also used in the vests that those serving our country use in order to do their jobs. The material slows down or even completely prevents a bullet from penetrating the skin of the wearer. This specialized material was not however invented by a man, but a woman by the name of Stephanie Kwolek in 1966.
These are merely a few of the inventions made by women that have impacted the entire world, but the truth of the matter is that many of the inventions before the late 1800’s that were invented were likely invented by women because up until the end of that century it was actually illegal for a woman to own any sort of property. That is why many of the inventions were placed into their husband’s or even their father’s names.
We have certainly come a long way since that time and now women are freer than ever to pursue their invention dreams. Women are now free to express themselves and solve problems through the inventions they come up with. These inventions however would not be anywhere if it were not for the ability to develop a prototype and for that we can thank the 3D printing industry.
The Advantages of 3D Printing
When a new invention is dreamt up in the head of anyone, it is not just enough to get a patent. You do not want your invention idea merely sitting around collecting dust. You want to see it being used by people everywhere. Prototypes used to have to be made from bulky and expensive materials making it almost impossible for the average everyday person to find a way to manufacture a prototype for potential investors to look at, but 3D printing enables the process to become faster and more inexpensive than ever before.
A person can get a 3D model printed for any invention much easier than paying for a metal prototype to be manufactured because the labor costs involved are almost eliminated. The model is printed on a variety of materials through a machining process as opposed to a team of people spending countless hours measuring, molding, and manufacturing the pieces. The next time your inventive wheels go to turning do not get discouraged by the high cost of producing a prototype, instead turn to 3D printing to take your idea and turn it into a reality.
I think that the inventions made by women should be part of the secondary school education. Both sexes need to see how women have contributed to the life we lead today.
I would have never guessed the circular saw was invented by a woman. Not that a woman couldnt think of it, but it is mostly a mle dominated tool. I expect the first ones were heavy and dangerous. It IS a time saving tool for sure. I think men invented high heels though!
I think there needs to be a big push for girls to get STEM subjects in school and be exposed to women pioneers like these 3.