Inventing simplicity
Bryce Alderton
Miles Elledge’s mind never tires for ideas. The inventor is always
working on something new whether it be a short story, movie, or a weight
training machine.
His hard work and active mind paid off when Elledge recently won five
awards for his inventions entered during this year’s Orange County Fair.
Elledge won a third place award for his “Big Kahuna Scooter” entered
into the invention expo, which he built in his free time when he’s not
teaching design at the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena. He had
the desire to make a scooter that would suit taller riders. Elledge
stands at 6’ 6.”
The scooter’s seven-inch wheels are aluminum alloys with urethane
tires and roller bearings, and the wooden deck where the rider stands is
made out of Honduras mahogany and birch plywood.
Elledge’s goal by the end of the year is to have the scooter licensed
by a manufacturer such as Schwinn or Razor.
“It’s comfortable, fun and safe,” Elledge said. “It puts fun back in
being an adult.”
Elledge said he was riding the scooter at the Huntington Beach Pier
last week when a father with his son stopped to look.
“The kid was drooling and the dad was staring at [the scooter],”
Elledge said. “It’s not a daily ride but I take it out occasionally and
it holds up well. It’s something to have fun on and hopefully I will get
enough built for [the scooters] to go on display and begin taking
orders.”
Elledge is currently building a second scooter, and has taken orders
from interested customers.
“I told them there would be a three month waiting list,” Elledge said.
The original model took Elledge six months to complete, but he expects
succeeding models to take less time.
“The first [scooter] was a six month ordeal because I had to make
every part twice, but now it’s something I can do quickly,” Elledge said.
One of Elledge’s goals in inventing products is simplifying life.
“I ask myself, ‘What are the basic needs we have, and how can I make
my life easier with the least amount of stress?”’ Elledge said.
Elledge has been inventing and building ever since his pinewood derby
car won first place when he was a member of the Cub Scouts and he has has
ridden the wave of curiosity all the way to three first place finishes,
one overall division winner and one third place finish at this year’s
Orange County Fair.
“I had no idea I would win a prize in every division I entered,”
Elledge said. “I was in shock when I found out I had won in these
divisions and began cranking out business cards. It was very touching.”
Elledge’s first place entries were for his freeway signal sign,
medical icons, and an electronic phone book. He won in the overall
division for his freeway sign.
The freeway signal sign is designed to help drivers make better
choices on the freeways by alerting them to freeway conditions before
they get caught in traffic.
Elledge’s design would place lights on existing freeway signs that
would light up depending on the conditions. Two green light signals would
mean traffic is flowing at full speed; one yellow and one green signal
means reduce speed; two yellow lights means traffic is slowing, prepare
to stop; and two flashing lights mean the freeway is blocked, use an
alternate route.
Elledge is still working through the patent approval process for all
his inventions, specifically with federal and state legislatures to place
the traffic signals internationally.
“I recently met with [Assemblyman] Tom Harman to draft a letter that
will be forwarded to Sacramento,” Elledge said.
Elledge won first place in the medical division at the fair’s
invention expo for his medical icons entry.
Each category has it’s own image of how a drug acts once inside the
user’s body. Several icons have a “$” sign, which Elledge said, “means an
investment to the health of your body, as in vitamins.”
Elledge is also a licensed nurse and said 150 icons would “cover
almost everything.” His goal was to create labels that could be
understood worldwide.
Elledge’s electronic phone book, which won first place in the home
product division at the fair, has two goals: making it easier for the
user to look up numbers and eliminating all yellow and white pages to
reduce tree cutting and land use.
“The search is based on data and keeping things as simple as
possible,” Elledge said.
The phone book would allow the user to access any phone number in a
local area code simply by inputting someone’s first or last name,
business name or subject.
“Dial in ‘pizza,’ and the book will list all the companies that have
‘pizza’ in their names,” Elledge said. “Or dial ‘Jane’ and all the names
which include ‘Jane’ will be displayed.”
The portable phone book could be used directly by a phone line, via
computer, cell phone and by wireless communication.
So what’s next for Elledge?
“This year has been so creative for me,” Elledge said. “Everyone has
an idea, it’s just getting it off the ground.”
Elledge is currently trying to get a children’s story and a short
story published.
“The short story is directed toward children with eccentric wishes who
want to do other activities besides baseball, football or soccer,”
Elledge said. “It’s about a child that likes inventing things.”
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