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Idealog—in the ideas business

Innovation of the day: The Most Useless Machine Ever

By Sarah Robson,

Who: Brett Coulthard (Canada) 

Innovation: The Most Useless Machine Ever

What does it do?

The Most Useless Machine Ever is a small wooden box with a switch. When the switch is flipped, turning the machine on, the box opens and a small arm reaches out to turn the switch off, before retracting back into the box. And it keeps doing this. Repeatedly. Over and over.

What problem does it solve?

As the name suggests, this innovation doesn't really do anything. It's completely useless. It just turns itself off and on.

A success?

This video of the Most Useless Machine Ever on YouTube has more than five million views. It's featured on US television show The Colbert Report. It won Robot of the Year in the 2009 Engadget Awards. It is on display at the Museum of Ideas and Inventions in Barcelona. You can get the construction plans, or buy kits, and make your very own Most Useless Machine Ever. An internet sensation, perhaps?

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Comments

Peter J MELLALIEU

The device reminds me of perhaps one of the MOST IMPORTANT inventions of the mid 20th century: the 'flip flop'…. a key element that lies at the foundation of the modern computer. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flip-flop_%28electronics%29

Michael Smythe

It's a work of kinetic art - resonant with allegory (instant innovation blockers came to mind).

It 's title reminds me of a conversation I had with Alan Gibbs when I was researching my book - NEW ZEALAND BY DESIGN (to be officially launched on Thursday). I suggested that his Aquada design project integrated his love of engineering, art and business. “Hell no, said Alan. “Art is essentially useless - the Aquada is all about functional performance.”

Whatever the intended function of this elegant little performance piece was it has delivered it with exquisite simplicity and aplomb!

shades

It's a computer game with one move.
Remember Pong? If this is art so is Pong.
(and I'm not saying it isn't)

Steve Radiators
Steve Radiators

It is ironic that the most useless machine ever became one of the most useful machines in gaining views on youtube. I think the machine wasn't created for a purpose other than to entertain and humour others. It made me chuckle, and because of that, I do not think that it is useless at all.

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