Mind / Iron
by Bryan Bergeron, Editor ;
Momentum
As roboticists, we’re used to dealing with momentum
— that is, the product of mass and velocity of a robot arm
or other object. However, when it comes to success in
design and construction, just as important is the
momentum of your actions — the product of focus and
activity that enables you to complete the projects you
start. Too often, projects languish on a bookshelf or shop
table, half completed. Despite your best intentions, some
of your robotics projects may never see the light of day
or reach their full potential, simply for lack of
momentum.
I was reminded recently of this common tendency to
lose momentum by an examiner at the US Patent and
Trademark Office in Virginia. I was at the office to help
the examiner decide which of two patents was valid. As
you probably know, it’s relatively easy for someone to
break a patent if the inventor doesn’t follow the rules of
the game.
One of the rules is that the inventor has to show
evidence of momentum. For example, let’s say you’ve
invented a new robotics drive mechanism based on
magnetic repulsion. Once you’ve documented your
invention, you can’t simply apply for a patent and then
put your notebook away, intending to revisit it some time
in the future. To the contrary, if you want your patent to
stick in the face of competition from another inventor,
you have to prove to the patent office that you’ve been
diligently perfecting your idea since you conceived of it.
Human nature being what it is, the examiners in the US
Patent and Trademark Office know that unless inventions
are acted upon continuously, they will never result in
practical products. It’s in the national interest to award
and validate patents that are likely to result in jobs and
business.
6 SERVO 09.2011
