£2 ($3.50) or 
£40 ($65)?Hint: The first one. The second one, the overdesigned solution called the Bottle Buddy from BabyBuddy, was on the BBC's Dragon's Den (US version "The Shark's Tank") and got thumped off, booted off. Well deservedly. My solution? A set of 5 different sized scoops. Take out the scoop that's right for your baby or for the feeding, and just use that one. No mess, no fuss. And a heck of a lot cheaper.
This is why one must, again and again, step back and ask: What's the problem here? How do I solve it? Have I lost sight of what's needed? Otherwise one winds up inventing the Bottle Buddy and is laughed at by real people. Or attracts other silly people who like buying gadgets that they then put, barely used, in a dusty kitchen drawer.
The silly invention, the £40 machine, dispenses exact numbers of scoops of baby formula at correct weights for busy parents. Parents who can't keep track of counting scoops ("Oh no! Did I put in 4 scoops or 7?"). Parents who might underpack or overpack the scoop (according to their website, scoop weight can vary from 2.8g to almost double, 5.6g). Apparently, according to medical research, not using the exact scoop weight can make babies obese, leading to a successful acting career as the new Robbie Coltrane or John Goodman.
Enter the Scoop 'n Sift. This could probably be sold for £2 ($3.50) at Sainbury or Walmart.
How it works:
(1) Scoop Ring. Get a set of scoops of various volumes on a ring. See image of set of measuring cups on a ring, above. The same thing, except that the cups are much smaller. Busy parent selects Scoop #4 if baby wants 4 scoops. Do not use scoop yet. Now, the busy parent uses the...
(2) Sifter. The Sifter is a size 5 or 10 Scoop with a sifting filter at the bottom. It is chained to the Scoop Ring. The user takes more formula than needed in the Sifter, and shakes (sifts) it into the #4 Scoop selected above. Do sifting operation on top of the Formula can so that formula not caught in the Scooper falls back into the can. When the scoop is brimful, viola! We now have a loosely packed #4 scoop.
Why is this solution better? Gee, lemme think. Needs no batteries, costs 20 times less, might take slightly longer per operation (with practice, probably not), addresses the same problems (premeasure scoop, exact weight), is highly portable and travel-friendly.
Sift 'n Scoop improvements. It could use some tweaking, no doubt (e.g. make it a one-handed operation so that the parent can hold a screaming, smelly, puking baby in the other arm). However, the basic idea is sound and simple. Not everything needs a battery.
Other issues. There are other problems looking for solutions. An automated formula mixer (get the water temperature right), automatic rinsing & sterilizing of bottles, disposable bottles, etc. Lots of scope for improvement.
Where to buy. Walmart, Sainsbury, are you listening? I'll take a small royalty per sale, thanks.
