UK inventors have been showcasing their creativity in the last year with a host of unique innovations added to the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) register.

Among the 6,416 patent applications registered by UK inventors last year were a path that cleans up dog waste, a swimsuit designed to look like a bikini to cover up stretch marks, and a system to filter sad text messages if you’re feeling low analysis by The Guardian has found.

The polishing pooch path cleaner, invented by Susan Herman from Beaumaris, Wales, is designed to sense a dog’s presence and only clean up any waste after the hound leaves the area, thus preventing dogs from feeling scared.

Among the other inventions was Samantha Brindley’s ‘Swikini’, a full swimsuit that gives the illusion of a bikini, providing people, who may feel uncomfortable with their midriff exposed, an option to enjoy the feel of a bikini.

Brindley, who herself felt insecure about her stretch marks, designed the Swikini for many others who share similar insecurities.

While a majority of inventions were technical or mechanical, some practical, easily marketable products also made the list.

These included a cricket training aid, a urine collection system for fighter pilots, a bed covering to encourage male fertility, and a wearable device to monitor Parkinson’s tremors.

One such invention even made an appearance on the TV show Dragons’ Den. Victoria Miller, from Glasgow, patented a watch-like device that informs parents when a child is ready to sleep by monitoring their temperature cycle.

The analysis also revealed Winchester as the city with the highest number of inventions in relation to its population in 2022, with several inventions being registered through IBM’s research and development office in Hursley Park.

Here, a system was developed to use speech and facial biometrics to deliver text messages at the right moment.

Companies like Dyson, IBM, Jaguar Land Rover, and Imagination Technologies Ltd were among the top innovators.

Dyson took the lead with 234 registered patents. Also, a noteworthy 25 patent applications were published by the UK’s secretary of state for defence.

COVID-19 influenced a significant number of patents in 2022, with 22 titles mentioning ‘face mask’ and seven mentioning Covid-19 or coronavirus. As of now, around 34% of the patents have been granted, with 19% still awaiting their first examination.