"a shaving device that allows you to shave and feel your skin with your own fingers with each sweep" (Thanks, [Machiavelli])
Electric shavers can shave a face relatively clean. However, it may take many passes over the same area to accomplish a close shave. Once the area is clean, there's no point in continuing to work on that area, but it's tough to tell when you're done, so extra time may be taken in that area.
The only good way to tell if an area is clean is to remove the razor from the face and feel the area in question with one's fingertips.
The feeback mechanism of touching one's face to determine the current state of smoothness could be simplified and made continuous, thus facilitating a smooth, quick shave with minimal wasted time.
To accomplish this, the cutting head would be slightly physically removed from the motor/actuator so that the cutter could be held on the palm side of the hand on fingers 3 and 4. Fingers 2 and 5 would lay on either side of the cutting mechanism and be able to touch the face in the immediate area of the cutting head. (see link for a crappy illustration that will hopefully still get the point across).
This would facilitate immediate feedback regarding the smoothness of the area currently being shaved.
The power source (motor/actuator, batteries) would be behind the fingers out of the way. The device would be secured to the hand by a grip held between fingers 3 & 4 or maybe by rings attached to the shaver head through which fingers 3 & 4 would pass.
I'm having trouble describing this even reasonably well, so I can only hope it makes sense.-- half, Oct 08 2004 The aforementioned illustration. http://half_crazy.tripod.com/hb/shaver(The cutting heads are modeled after a Remington triple head microscreen razor. Other more feasible configurations are possible.) [half, Oct 08 2004, last modified Feb 05 2005] It sort of makes sense, [half]. I think I get the gist of the idea and the illustration helps. Basically, you want a shaving device that allows you to shave and feel your skin with your own fingers with each sweep? If I've understood this correctly I like the idea, even though I'll never need to use it myself.-- Machiavelli, Oct 08 2004 Damn fine idea. It's irritations like that that have turned me hairy in protest. Fight the effort! +-- harderthanjesus, Oct 08 2004 I think the name's too long to be a commercial success (he says as though that's the only thing standing between him and independent wealth).-- half, Oct 08 2004 SmoothEdge Plus III seems more in line with razor names.
My solution is shaving while driving to work. Plenty of time for face feeling that way.-- Worldgineer, Oct 08 2004 I was sorta thinking of the geekier crowd that might know what haptic means. I suppose it would help to include a bone conduction MP3 player sound system for that crowd.
Oh...you're one of those. Do you talk on the cellphone and drink coffee at the same time? :-) Shaving in the car would be a tough trick for me as I often drive a stick shift in stop and go traffic (the only kind we have on our freeways).
Oh well. Soon, I'll no longer have to commute with the multitaskers.-- half, Oct 08 2004 One more try: PalmBlade
I finish my coffee and bagel before shaving. Cell phone is for the ride home. I used to be big on manual transmission as well, but now I realize how much productivity I was wasting.-- Worldgineer, Oct 08 2004 Not half bad, half. Kind of like a shaver version of the humble "Blues Bottle", as used by slide guitarists. Could also double as a novelty hand-buzzer for that oh-so-amusing electric handshake gag.-- lostdog, Oct 08 2004 I could imagine problems with having a sudden itch on the top of your head while shaving. Of course your other hand could take care of it, but thats not very funny.-- Letsbuildafort, Oct 09 2004 BRAILE.A. Z. O. RNew from Tactiletronics.-- 2 fries shy of a happy meal, Oct 09 2004 random, halfbakery