‘Useless’ Selfie Stick Was First Designed by Japanese in 1983

The first selfie stick was invented long before the emergence of smartphones and listed among 101 useless Japanese devices in 1995.

The first selfie stick was invented in Japan 1983 as an additional accessory to Minolta Disc-7 camera, which was far ahead of its time, according to the gaming portal Kotaku.

Many parts of this camera were unique. In the center of the front panel there was a small spherical mirror specifically designed for self-portraits. A special belt was used as a focusing device, which shift angle also could be adjusted.

The first selfie stick, called at that time Minolta Extender, was sold in one set with the remote-controlled shutter release button.

The spherical mirror of the camera and the Minolta Extender were extra designed for self-portraits. Noteworthy is, however, that the latter was later on considered a “useless device,” being mentioned in the book "101 Useless Inventions of the Japanese," which was published in 1995.

The selfie stick is a popular accessory that allows a person to take self-pictures by his or her smartphone or camera at a distance of the normal range of the arm. The stick has been criticized by many countries and banned from use in sporting events, museums and concerts for safety reasons.