Electric Brakes

Victor Ochoa, born in 1850, was a Mexican inventor that changed modern transportation forever! He sold the patent of the electric brakes for streetcars to the American Brake Company in Seattle in 1907, but this wouldn’t his first, nor last invention.

He was also the brilliant mind behind the adjustable wrench and Ochoaplane, though many historians believe he also invented the pencil and pen clips- you know, the nifty things that help you attach your pens to shirt pockets.

He is also notable for his support of the Mexican Revolution. He even had a $50,000 bounty on his head. When caught, he served two years in jail and lost his U.S. citizenship because he attempted to organize an army in the United States. His purpose? To invade Mexico.
President Theodore Roosevelt restored his citizenship in 1906 after his release. Talk about a busy man!

The Acceleglove

The Acceleglove may sound like something out of a science fiction novel, but it certainly isn’t.

Sign language has been in development as far back as the 17th century. This method of communication is used by those with hearing loss and those around them. Thanks to the World Health Organization, more than 5% of the worldwide population suffers from hearing loss in one form or another.

Enter José Hernández-Rebollar, a Mexican inventor who created an electric glove that would translate sign language into text. Few people with hearing loss actually use the invention, however.