Domestic Cat Inspires Apple Inc. To Design Self-righting iPhone

This may sound fanciful but the mighty Apple Inc., at one time the world’s largest company, has been inspired by the humble domestic cat’s ability to land on all fours after a fall. The company has designed and received patent approval for a mechanism within the iPhone which ensures that it rights itself and makes contact with the ground screen up or in such as way as to minimise screen breakage.

Apple are constantly looking for flashy and innovative ways to stay ahead of the game. It must get harder and harder. This time, their cumulative brain power has come up with something completely novel.

How does it work? First, let’s remind ourselves that the cat is famous for being able to land on all fours even when falling a relatively short distance from a starting point where the legs are pointing upwards. The cat is able to self-right herself athletically and rapidly using a rather complex twisting action.

Apple’s device will be no match for the cat’s abilities but it works by altering the phone’s centre of gravity as it falls. Using its built in motion sensors, the phone will be able to sense it is falling and employ the mini-motor, that causes the receive call vibration, to alter the centre of gravity by shifting itself during the fall.

In addition the battery could be ejected to alter the way the phone is spinning while falling. Another far fetched innovation is for the phone to deploy some sort of aerofoil when falling so that it rotates.

All the patented ideas have one goal: to ensure the iPhone hits the ground in such a way to minimise screen breakages.

So, thank you Mr Domestic Cat. You know how impressed we humans are with your athletic skills. Apple’s patent is an example of how that admiration has been translated into practical use.

I think the cat deserves a commission on sales 😉 How about one-tenth of one percent?