Virtually every modern home has a basic wheelbarrow in storage. The use of the wheelbarrow is ubiquitous in construction and basic household chores. Truck design, form and function have not changed appreciably in 700 years. And yet, this simple tool is one of the great advances in history in creating workplace productivity.
No one knows who invented the wheelbarrow. The Chinese used crude and primitive types of wheeled carts, similar to the modern unit, as early as the 1st century. However, it was not until the 13th century that it was known that the type of wheelbarrow we now recognize and use was in common use. common.
The front and center location of the wheel made the modern unit more practical to use. A man could take advantage of and control much more weight with the new version. Historically, two or more men were needed, using flat stretchers to move loads of heavy material. This made the construction very laborious and slow.
The use of the wheelbarrow was a new and efficient method of speeding up the construction of the great buildings built throughout Europe in the Middle Ages. It is quite possible that many of the architectural wonders we enjoy to this day would look very different and would be much smaller in scale without the use of the basic wheelbarrow. Notre Dame, St. Paul’s Cathedral or Windsor Castle would surely not be the wonderful buildings that surprise and excite us were it not for the simple but essential use of this mundane tool.
The invention of the wheelbarrow resulted from the simple rearrangement of existing components. The wheel existed. The tomb existed. The principles of leverage were well known. However, these elements were not combined into a single unit and refined to become the useful advance in labor savings and productivity that we use to this day until someone creatively addressed this need.
The 21st century presents the creative and entrepreneurial class with many opportunities to address and solve real needs. There has never been a better time to market new products and services. Inventors, engineers, and companies around the world strive to discover answers and solutions to the needs of health, energy, resources, agriculture, and materials. The rate of innovation accelerates every decade. The world is a better place for this bustling outpouring of energy, courage, investment and creativity.
The simple wheelbarrow is a metaphor for progress. This most basic tool has been doing landlord jobs for centuries. This invention is a model for modern inventors. Identify and solve a basic need that is present in your personal, social or work universe. Responding to real needs with simple solutions can provide the path to fame, fortune, and personal satisfaction.
The consumer is the final beneficiary. Life gets better every time a new product is introduced that offers better features and benefits than what is currently available. A modern truism is this: “Never the best, only the latest.” Novelty and fresh versions of old products are always in demand.
