Japan’s own list of crazy inventions may not seem too much in terms of numbers, but it sure is something in terms of overall wackiness. This contraption in particular isn’t exactly what we could consider as the weirdest, but it can be good example of what you need to expect.

Tofu Linear Accelerator kind of sounds badass, rings a very distinct tune, and does exactly as it’s described; a machine that is built with the sole purpose of launching that soft, mushy tofu you always see at the vegetables section of your local supermarket. By combining very high air pressure and some leftover expired tofu, it creates a formidable weapon that can cause sticky messes everywhere.

Of course, it’s not so lethal that it could harm a person anyway, but you get the idea. At the very least, it’s powerful enough to punch holes through cardboards, destroy soda cans, and even create a chaotic mess when hitting raw eggs. As for taking out targets with it, well, that would depend on what the user would mean by “taking out”. Because as mentioned earlier, you’re just more likely to make an even bigger sticky mess with it even as it reaches speeds that would have been lethal if it were a more solid object.

So, why was it built anyway? Is it a science project? A proof of concept device for another idea perhaps? We’re not sure, and their eureka moment for building such device may remain a complete mystery to us. All we know is that you literally can’t just mess with it without leaving puddles of white chaos.

The instructions and schematics for the Tofu Linear Accelerator were introduced in the video, so if you’re interested and up for the challenge, you could probably try your hand in creating your own version. Just a friendly reminder though, use expired tofu, or you might incur the wrath of the tofu gods with it.

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Whether the company name was intentional or not, EHang paints a picture of what its product does. China-based EHang creates unmanned aerial vehicles that hang in the air taking video or photos of what’s below. Ghost, one of the company’s drones, is an Indiegogo crowd funding success story. The company has far surpassed its original goal of $100,000 by raising $596,702 with 26 days to go.

Ghost landing gear sets the drone down gently.

Ghost does not require a cumbersome RC controller. You guide it with your iOS or Android smartphone and a small G-Box with 2.4GHz 80mw standard Bluetooth communicator. Auto Mode points the drone head first towards its destination and allows you to concentrate on the visuals you want to capture instead of worrying about piloting. You’ll want to use the micro control mode to pinpoint a specific location by simply sliding it in the direction you want to drone to go. It can get there tail first if necessary.

A simple finger tap points your drone to its destination.

GoPro equipment is compatible with Ghost including the Hero 4 and is assisted by the 2D gimbal which keeps your shots stable. Flying at night is possible due to Night Mode with LED lights to visually keep track of its position. Ghost is wind resistant to 21 knots and waterproof so weather won’t ground the aerial vehicle. If anything goes awry, Ghost incorporates automatic return if the connection is lost.

You can still get in on the Indiegogo Ghost project. Support starts with a $5 fan club contribution and goes to $49,000 with a list of perks in between including a $355 DIY kit that includes parts for you to assembly the Ghost yourself. Cyber Monday offered the following:

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The campaign started November 10, 2014 and will close on January 9, 2015 at the end of CES. The company will be exhibiting in the Las Vegas Convention Center, LVCC South Hall 2. BSN* will be able to provide our readers with a hands-on opinion of this and other unmanned systems after the show. In the meantime, you can tell EHang what you want them to do to improve on their Ghost with the cash they have raised beyond their original goal. Vote at their survey site.  One option is to expand the white ghostly finish to other colors. Maybe one of these? Or ask for your favorite color – neon orange perhaps?

In addition to Ghost for recreational use, EHang also develops the larger Skyway for commercial use. The Chinese company also has offices in San Carlos, California.

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If you’re one of those people struggling to crawl out of bed early in the morning for work, then don’t worry, you’re not alone. But if you need something that would definitely get you out of that sleepy spell, then this Japanese guy might just have the perfect solution for you.

The user first starts his/her day with a timely ring of his phone alarm. At this point of the day, the simple automatic slider starts rolling the room curtain to reveal the rising sun. After a while, if the user still doesn’t wake up, he/she will then be greeted by automatically opening windows, which also activate after a set period of time as a “snooze” option. If a set time passes again and the incoming fresh morning air is still insufficient to wake its user up, the bed would automatically start getting its sleeping user up, accompanied by a sudden boom of music that’s supposed to be stimulating (or irritating) to the user’s ears.

To test if the user is already awake enough, the switch to turn it off gives a set pattern (which is situated way over at the sink by the way). If the user inputs the correct pattern, the alarm is finally turned off. As a bonus, or reward for waking up in time, the system also automatically activates a coffee machine to start pouring the morning coffee. Of course, what else could be a tech-savvy way to end this geeky wake up routine, than with a special self-stirring mug?

The entire setup is named as “The Most Useful Wake Up Machine”, and indeed we might have to agree that it is. If you’re interested to set up one for yourself, its creator has provided a few pointers in his introduction video, as well as the entire schematics at DMM.make.

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