Igniteless isn't Orlando Robinson's first ticket to the invention/entrepreneurial rodeo.
The Palmer Woods resident has been inventing gadgets to help make life simpler since he was in the Marine Corps in the early 1990s. In 1991, he says he came up with an early version of camelback to help he and his fellow leathernecks avoid losing their canteens and make it easier to drink. His squad used it and it never made it beyond there, but he started to notice camelbacks on the commercial market not long after.
Since then he has come up with three more inventions.
This is not the first time the D&D Innovations CEO has been inspired to create a life-saving or problem-solving product. A decade ago, Robinson invented the
Seat Belt Shifter Lock system and the
Door Pal, which helps secure foreclosed properties from break-ins. Door Pal made its way to $1.6 million in revenue thanks to landing some big clients like Bank of America, Chase Bank, Comerica Bank and Wells Fargo.
"I have been tearing stuff apart and putting it back together all my life," Robinson says. "If you come to my house you will see gadgets all over that help me solve problems. All my life I have been coming up with technology solutions."
His latest invention is Igniteless, a device that would automatically turn off a stove that was left on unattended. Robinson's 8-year-old son inspired him to create it after watching a news story about a family of children that died in a house fire.
"It shuts the gas off before it has a chance to ignite," Robinson says. "That's why we call it Igniteless."
Robinson and his team of four people have developed a working prototype and are currently in the process of obtaining certification for the technology. In the meantime, Robinson is pushing forward with an
Indiegogo campaign to raise money for the first manufacturing run. He hopes to raise $150,000 so he can manufacture 5,000 units this fall and sell them at $150 each.
Source: Orlando Robinson, inventor Igniteless
Writer: Jon Zemke
Read more about Metro Detroit's growing entrepreneurial ecosystem at SEMichiganStartup.com.
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