Lonnie Johnson – From Best-Selling Toys to Game-Changing Tech
If you were a child in the 1990s, chances are that Lonnie Johnson filled your summers with fun. His most popular invention, the Super Soaker®, was the number one selling toy in the world in 1992, and has found its place among the top ten best-selling toys of the year every year since. His inventions include other popular toys too, such as NERF® soft foam dart guns and a toy airplane launched in 1987, Jammin’ Jet—but the patent he is most proud of is for an engine that converts heat directly into electricity, the Johnson Thermo-Electrochemical Converter, which is still in development. Such is the breadth and depth of Dr. Johnson’s portfolio.
