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.”