A San Diego man has redeveloped an eating utensil with a history dating back to 1200 B.C.
Dang Tran, 33, is the founder of Gravity Chopsticks, a slight refinement of the pair of sticks that are often used in Asian homes and restaurants. His invention lifts the chopsticks on one end, eliminating the need for a chopsticks rest or simply placing your chopsticks on the table.
So far, his product has more than 100 backers on crowdfunding website, Kickstarter, raising $5,308. He hopes to raise $7,000 in the remaining 27 days.
Tran said he came up with the invention while dining at a Thai food restaurant with his wife.
“After we finished our appetizers the server took our plates away,” Tran said. “My wife was annoyed since she couldn’t place her chopsticks down on the plate and there was nothing else to rest the chopsticks on. She had to hold onto her chopsticks until our noodles arrived. So that’s when it dawned on me that it would be so much more convenient if there was a pair of chopsticks that rose on its own off the table without a rest.”
Tran, a software engineer by day, said he saw the design in his mind and developed a prototype using his at-home 3D printer within two months.
“After several revisions, I sent the file to a local machine shop to create the metal handle,” Tran said. “I bought some wood from a local store and made the eating tip. After receiving the metal handle prototype I assembled the parts together to validate the physics of the chopsticks. Within two months I had a working prototype.”
Tran’s innovative, yet simple idea has already received praise. But more importantly, Tran said it provides a sanitary way of eating.
“Gravity Chopsticks was invented to place the chopsticks down without needing to have a plate, bowl, rest, or folding paper packages,” Tran said. “It is simple, convenient and sanitary.”
For more information about Gravity Chopsticks, go to kickstarter.com.
