I once had a metal-frame futon that fell apart, and I believe that it was a result of not having the bolts tight enough. A loose bolt on a metallic frame often becomes looser when a little vibration is applied to the structure, causing an eventual collapse over time.

Fortuantely, the Smartbolt is here to tell you when your bolt is good and tight. It has a color-coded visual indicator in the center of the hexagonal head that starts out red and will slowly turn to black when it is 100% tight.

For those cases where the bolts need to be “tight, but not too tight”, there is version that goes from yellow to green when it is 90% tight, and then the usual black at 100%.

Stress Indicators Inc. claims that there is “no wires, instruments, or electronic black boxes” needed, just the naked eye. There isn’t any sort of intricate microcircuits that change the color, just some non-technological tension indicator. Perhaps this is the beginning of a new age of bolts, and we can only hope that screws will get the same treatment.

If you would like to see a nifty demonstration of this product, or purchase some Smartbolts for yourself, feel free to visit the Smartbolt site.

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