Before the first human stepped on the Moon (1969), NASA needed tools that could safely operate on the lunar surface! Specifically, NASA wanted to avoid electrical devices that operated exclusively with cables, as there was a fear that astronauts could get tangled in them in zero-gravity conditions!

So, NASA asked the well-known American tool manufacturing company Black & Decker to create a wireless and rechargeable electric drill so that it could use it to extract samples from the surface of the moon! And that's how the first rechargeable, handheld electric drill was invented, not only for lunar use but also for household use!

We are talking about a technology that we take for granted today but was way ahead of its time (late 70s to early 80s)! So, the company Black & Decker, because it had dedicated a lot of time and resources to this project, decided to fully exploit it and apply this technology to other devices to benefit financially from it!

In the 1980s, the first rechargeable handheld vacuum cleaner was released on the market and it became a sensation! In fact, when it was first introduced in 1979 as a household product, it sold more than traditional handheld vacuum cleaners! Personally, these cordless electric sweepers are one of my favorite inventions in the world!