HUNTSVILLE, Alabama-- Want to prove to your friends and family visiting for the holidays that Huntsville is as smart as its Rocket City reputation?
Take them to the new "101 Rocket City Inventions" exhibit at the U.S. Space & Rocket Center.
More than 8,000 local patents from 1900 to the present day were narrowed down for display, reflecting Huntsville's culture of invention and innovation for products, services and technologies.
Complementing the traveling "101 Inventions That Changed the World," the Rocket City display runs until December 31, 2015.
Here are our picks for the coolest Rocket City inventions on display:
Rocket-Propelled Missile (W. Von Braun, 1961)
The precursor to later Jupiter and Saturn rockets that launched America's space program, Dr. Wernher von Braun's rocket carried the maximum weight of fuel and payload while maintaining stability in flight. Von Braun, then director of Marshall Space Flight Center and the architect of America's manned space flight program, led his famous rocket team in the amazing work that gave Huntsville its nickname.
Smart Pill Bottle (E. Jovanov, 2011)
Recently named Alabama Inventor of the Year at the 2014 Alabama Launchpad competition, Dr. Emil Jovanov's drug delivery system tracks dosage use of medication and allows the patient to monitor when it's time to take their medicine via Internet or text message. Jovanov is a professor of electrical and computer engineering at the University of Alabama in Huntsville.
Jet Vest (T.M. Moore et al., 1964)
This early rocket pack consists of a harness with a pair of identical thrust nozzles attached on each side of the user's shoulders.
Quick Plane (W. Quick, 1908)
William Quick, a carpenter and blacksmith by trade, designed his airplane with a streamlined fuselage, flexible wings, and a rudder. His plane, built and tested on his farm in New Market just over four years after the Wright brothers initial flight, was the first operable bat-winged airplane with tricycle landing gear. Local historian John Rankin wrote in 2010 that Quick's brother-in-law, inspired by Quick's airplane, was involved in the creation of the Boeing airplane company in Washington.
Photorefractor Eye Exam (J.R. Richardson & J.H. Kerr, 1984)
This portable system detects eye defects by examining eye reflexes through fixed light and then recording them on color film.
Oil Spill Remedy (B.D. McCrory & P.A. McCrory, 1993)
How do you clean up oil spills on water? Human hair. Longtime Huntsville barber Phil McCrory developed the OttiMat, which uses recycled human hair, formed into a mat, to soak up spilled oil and other petroleum products. He got the idea for the OttiMat after seeing oil-covered otters in Alaska following the Exxon Valdez oil spill.
Automatic Poultry Waterer (J.W. Boyd, 1964)
This automated system of plunger-type valves and vessels transported fresh water to poultry and/or animals.
Magnetic Spin Reduction (G. von Tiesenhausen, 1984)
Georg von Tiesenhausen, a member of the von Braun rocket team, developed this stabilizing maintenance system for repairing spinning satellites.
Jet Propelled Toy (O.C. Holderer, 1962)
Another member of Von Braun's team, Oscar Holderer, created this potential stocking-stuffer to teach children about the principles of rocketry.
The Flying Car (J.B. Green, 1968)
OK, so this disc-shaped aircraft never really took off, but it's still cool to see how close we've come to imitating The Jetsons.