Filing Cabinets That Use Electronic Access?

I'll agree with most of what you say but least it not be said at all ..... I'll add this:

I don't think that making this device would be a very big project. Mostly off the shelf items put together as a means to an end. THAT's the easy part. Making it a marketable/profitable product is the tough, expensive part. How much is it going to cost to get engineering drawings, a business attorney for getting confidentiallity agreements signed with all who work on it. Application for a patent. A patent attorney and expediter, marketing consultant, sales means and methods.

Minimum a few hundred thousand dollars, in an attempt to make sure it was going to fly, which probably means outside investors. Otherwise the minimum is to just apply for a patent and spend years of trying to do all of the rest yourself. Trying to get a start up manufacturing company to a point that it is profitable, without outside money, is a VERY difficult thing to do.

Yes that may all be true. However, if I was asked to get involved with doing the project it would only be of interest to me for the quantity that "W" might want. Yes, having some legal documents signed would be necessary but not to the degree you suggest. It would simply be a agreement that covers cost, payments, etc. If the project went well it could be packaged as a retrofit that a 10th grader could follow and could be installed on 'W's' property. But I may be looking too far ahead.

As for the patent part of your suggestion, since my intent would be to not even think about it this would be a non issue. Again it is not a concern. I know what is involved and it is just too big and expensive to go forward with. It would be easier to approach the manufacture and get them to evaluate and pay a fee for the simple rights. As I see it they don't feel there is a serious market for the adaptation to make a profit. In other word no demand (other than 'W' that is).

Life goes on.

Les