The Japanese art of chindogu was the inspiration for a quirky design exhibition open to students, academics and professional product designers to go on display at the end of this month.
Chindogu were everyday inventions designed to make life a little easier but which were also completely impractical.
Otago Polytechnic design lecturer and entrant Jane Venis described the inventions as "purity of uselessness".
She had created three inventions for the exhibition, two "secret entries" and one titled the "Ear Full", a musical instrument which played into the musician's ear, to encourage them to keep their playing brief.
By giving yourself an earful, you avoided getting one from your neighbours, she said.
"Five minutes and the neighbours are happy, and after five minutes you have had enough yourself."
Making various gadgets and machines had been a passion of hers for more than six years.
She believed chindogu appealed to people for its interesting, humorous nature.
"I make a lot of instruments and musical contraptions which reference chindogu in their absurd quality."
University of Otago design studies lecturer Gavin O'Brien had also created three entries.
One, an elastic tape measure, was sure to be a hit with women.
Another, "Shandals", allowed the shower to be cleaned at the same time as the user with scrubbers on the bottom of sandals.
His third entry was a modified clock, which allowed the user to run about 40 minutes ahead of time throughout the day and end up with downtime at the end.
Fringe Festival Artist Lab co-ordinator Melanie Meunier chose a chindogu exhibition, as Dunedin already had "something in the air" with designers creating inventions in the past.
The exhibition will run between March 29 and April 5 at the Dunedin Public Art Gallery.
Visit www.dunedinfringe.org.nz for more information about Fringe events.
A chindogu
•Every chindogu is an almost useless object, but not every almost useless object is a chindogu.
•In order to transcend the realms of the merely almost useless, and join the ranks of the really almost useless, certain vital criteria must be met.
•A chindogu cannot be for real use.
•A chindogu must exist.
•Inherent in every chindogu is the spirit of anarchy.
•Chindogu are tools for everyday life.
•Chindogu are not for sale.
•Humour must not be the sole reason for creating a chindogu.
•Chindogu is not propaganda.
•Chindogu are never taboo.
•Chindogu cannot be patented.
•Chindogu are without prejudice.
Source: International Chindogu Society