Note: This is a ROBOTIC cat, not a real one. I doubt that a real cat would appreciate it if I shaved it and inserted mechanical things into it.
A synthetic cat with solar panels all over itself, and some form of sensor on its tail (heat sensor? Light detector thing?). The cat would find out the sunniest spot in a nearby place (you could adjust it so that it doesn't walk too far away, and you can track it on something like a GPS.
The cat has a box inside it protected by a metal box that would be very hard to break into, and with a lock on it and a passcode. Inside the box is one or two power sockets, so you can plug in stuff like an iPod, Nintendo DS, Gameboy, mobile phone, or something small like that, and the cat will walk around during the day, with items inside it, and the solar cells will power up whatever small item you put inside the cat.
If nothing is put inside it, or that there is enough power to be diverted, the mechanical puss will divert some power to a battery, and at night, the mechanical puss will have a sort of glow about it as it lights up, which would be good for people who can't seem to find their way to the loo in the middle of the night, or if they like taking out the dustbins at 3:00am.
I haven't a clue about how heavy this contraption would be if it was ever to be baked, but I have a feeling that it would be pretty heavy.-- froglet, Mar 18 2005 Solar Cat http://www.solarcat.com/This is the mascot of the American Solar Energy Society [energy guy, Mar 18 2005] Cat Mounted Solar Panels Cat-mounted_20solar_20panels [energy guy, Mar 18 2005] Catsitter's friend Catsitter_27s_20FriendAnother in the spate of cat/daylight ideas [robinism, Mar 20 2005] Sweet.-- skinflaps, Mar 18 2005 Halfbaked a day earlier (see link) by Robinism. I guess both of you saw Unabubba's idea.-- energy guy, Mar 18 2005 Might be useful in finding the ancient sun temple at the spot on the earth that has the longest longest days...
Then we can all start wearing "Continuosly Varying Timepieces" that are forsale at one of those stalls outside the temple.-- madness, Mar 18 2005 No [energy_guy], I'm talking about a robotic cat, I can't own real ones, coz I'm allergic, which is a shame.-- froglet, Mar 18 2005 Not sure what to be more worried about: [energy_guy] thinking that he's a pinball machine, or [EDJ] thinking that he's Batman.-- froglet, Mar 18 2005 If I wanted to read rehashed halfbaked ideas, I'd be trawling some lesser site. I don't expect this kind of low calibre inventiveness/imagination and from patrons of the HB-- scubadooper, Mar 18 2005 and your idea of the day is...
froglet has that magical quality of loads of fishies and croissants that makes a person really interesting...-- po, Mar 18 2005 Not a cat circus, then?-- RayfordSteele, Mar 18 2005 I'm sorry [po] I may not be coming out with ideas all the time, I'm afraid my time on the site is limited to having a quick scan of what's here. However, at least I'm not rehashing ideas that have already been covered twice in recent days. Without, as far as I can see, changing a single thing and then to add insult to injury referencing the original idea.-- scubadooper, Mar 19 2005 [po] Not sure whether that's a complement or an insult. I'll take it as a complement. [RayfordSteele] I doubt you could get cats to do anything for you, they're probably one of the most independant pets around. [scubadooper] I didn't nick this idea off anyone, I created an idea about a robotic cat that will go anywhere there is sun, and it'll recharge batteries, ipods, and various other small electronic items that you put inside it throughout today, but I doubt that it would work in Scotland. Plus... And if I insulted [energy_guy] in any way in by putting this idea up, I apologise, and if you want, I shall delete it.
Satisfied [subadooper]?
Another thing: If my idea had already been put up on this site, then wouldn't it be shown by a load of fishbones?-- froglet, Mar 21 2005 random, halfbakery