“Discovery consists of seeing what everybody has seen and thinking what nobody has thought.” ~Albert Szent-Gyorgy, Nobel Prize winner (1893-1986)
The Cross-Eye Periscope had its roots in seeing the normal, every-day life, and thinking about it differently. Brian Atkins, a mechanical engineer from Walla Walla University, had taken his younger cousins out shooting after work, as he often did in the evenings. They often shot bows and arrows, hand guns, and rifles. One particular evening in 2023, the boys wanted their parents to join them in their target practice. Everyone shot righthanded, except their mom. Even though she's right-handed, she's left eye dominant, which according to Medical science estimates that cross dominance occurs in as many as 25 percent of the population, with right-hand and left-eye being the most common. Atkins watched her shoot, seeing what everybody had seen— but thinking what nobody had thought—he was going to create something to make cross-dominant shooting more comfortable. His first idea was to create an offset rail, but after sitting down at his desk armed with diagrams, statistics, and calculations, he opted instead to create a type of periscope. While a periscope in and of itself isn't new, the idea of using it for cross-dominant shooters is. Atkins looked at the information available for inter pupillary distance, and used the data collected by the military to determine an offset for his periscope that would accommodate most people. He 3D printed his first design; purchased cheap mirrors, and cut them himself. It was a rectangular, box design and while it worked, it didn't match up well with the mounted scope, and Atkins thought it could be improved with a round design. Again, he printed it himself, purchased more cheap mirrors which he also cut himself (breaking a few in the process). But from this model, that his current design idea grew. He experimented with different mirrors. Researching glass quality specifications and materials such as special coatings with both acrylic and glass mirrors. After creating several prototypes, Atkins finally was satisfied with his design, using optical quality mirrors. Once again, he loaded up his cousins—and their parents, and took them back out to target practice with his new invention. The metal target was set up 100 yards away. The boys' mom nuzzled the butt of the gun into her arm, surprised at how comfortable it felt to have the gun in her right hand while easily able to use her left eye. “We're going to stay out here, 'til you hit the target,” Atkins quipped just as she pulled the trigger. The bullet found it's mark not only on the target, but on the edge of the bulls eye. Pleased with his new device, Atkins began working with a manufacturer to create injection molds and have specific mirrors made for his product. Almost a year to the date of that evening target practice, Atkins was tightening his idea onto the rail of a gun. When applying for his licensing, Atkins had no trouble deciding what his logo would be: ETO. Easy to Operate. A logo his father (also an engineer) had created nearly 40 year before when working on a rear tine garden tiller. “Most garden tillers have 2 speeds: too slow, and too fast.” In the 80s, his father had been working to design a hydrostatic drive transmission system that would provide a variable speed control drive so the operator could make adjustments for soil conditions on the go. His father had created the logo, but never used it. Atkins felt the logo fit his own product while also paying respect to his father. Atkins cross-eye periscope requires a 34 mm diameter ring and mounts will soon be available to work with any 1913 Picatinny rail. There is more to sighting in a new gun than just getting grip, stance and sights dialed in. The eyes also have to be on target. For more information email ETOProducts4u@gmail.com
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