My Invention: Tranquility Pads

Tranquility – the need to be safe.


My invention is a set of ergonomically designed shoulder pads which can be worn inconspicuously by pedestrians while walking in the city to protect themselves from bumps and bruises caused when their fellow pedestrians knock into them unannounced. Busy city environments can often be quite unnerving experiences for pedestrians unfamiliar with the environment or who don’t like their personal space to be invaded by a stranger in a hurry. My invention cushions the physical and emotional blow of a stranger bumping into you on their rush to work by protecting you and allowing you to walk safely through the city. The tranquillity pads also act as small pillows which you can adjust and use to nap on the train or in your lunch break to bring a sense of calm and safety to the hectic city environment.

The Magic lies in their ability to provide a feeling of inconspicuous tranquility and safety while still allowing you get where you need to be and experience the city environment. To further increase the feeling of tranquility, the pads could integrate a massaging lining to relax and calm the user in times of stress while walking in the city.

Some quotes from Body Consciousness, by R. Shusterman:

“I also perceive my body as something that I have and use rather than am… something that distracts, disturbs, or makes me suffer. Such discord encourages somatic alienation and the familiar denigrating objectification of the body as just an instrument” (pg. 3)

“Too many of our ordinary somatic pleasures are taken hurriedly, distractedly, and almost as unconsciously as the pleasures of sleep. If this dearth of somaesthetic sensitivity helps explain our culture’s growing dependence on increasing stimulation through the sensationalism of mass-media entertainments and far more radical means of thrill taking, then such a diet of artificial excitements can conversely explain how our habits of perception.. are transformed in ways that elevate the stimulus threshold for perceptibility and satisfaction while diminishing our capacities for tranquil, steady, and sustained attention.” (pg. 6-7)