Jaw-O-Meter 2000
The Jaw-O-Meter 2000 generates energy by harnessing the power of a good chat. The more you talk, the more sustainable energy you will make. Ruby was inspired by a ventriloquist's dummy that she had seen on television and by her family - we wonder what they were chatting about!
Keep scrolling to see the story of this amazing invention!
Invention Story
"When you talk it powers things. It's saving energy and keeping the planet alive. Ideal for Mams and Grans that like to chat. Creates and stores energy by talking. Mouth piece is powered by the motion of your jaw when you talk and creates electric signals. It also comes with a portable version which is little headphones instead of the mouth piece and it also comes with a battery pack."
Ruby
During the first Pioneers session that took place at Preston Park Museum, Ruby developed her invention to make it more portable. She has included a handy bum bag so that you can wear your Jaw-O-Meter when you are out and about, generating energy on the go!
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Using her Inventor's Log, Ruby has continued to develop her idea at home, including thinking about who her invention is for and how it could be changed to suit other users.
Ruby and animator Chloe met over a video call to discuss the progress of the Jaw-O-Meter 2000 and to get Ruby's feedback.
Ruby planned how to make a model of her idea at home too.
Starting the Project
My idea is to make a video to show two people chatting, wearing the devices. In my day job I'm an animator so I think ...
Papier-mâché
The papier-mâché I am using is very thin tissue paper with watered down PVA and a tiny bit of plaster mixed in to make it a bit stronger. I put about 4-5 layers on and once it had fully dried I scraped out the plasticine inside so that I would be left with a hollow face - nice and lightweight to keep the jaw working.
Painting
This is what the faces look like when the papier mâché is dry and painted with acrylic paints. In some areas the face needed a little bit of smoothing so I used PVA in a thick coat to even out any dimples. I've left gaps where the eyes are going - I'm going to use painted beads for these.
Making the bodies
The bodies are made from foam which is covered in papier mâché to keep the faces and bodies looking similar. The legs ...
Jaw-O-Meter
Now that the puppets are almost finished, I can get onto the most important bit - adding the Jaw-O-Meter! I've made it green ...
Chatting to Ruby
Ruby and I had a great chat about the progress so far - I showed her the puppets and she talked me through her idea for a ...
Filming
After the chat with Ruby, I thought it might be interesting to make the film into more of an advert to showcase the invention as a ...
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Ruby definitely has more ideas up her sleeve. In fact, she even submitted another invention for the Pioneers Energy Challenge - The Fantastic Wheel. We hope to see more of your inventions in the future too Ruby!
