STEMJobs states that kid inventions “are often practical answers to a problem faced by those suffering from illness or a physical handicap, or a creative product to make our lives easier.”
Here are five such ideas from young inventors that are making a world of difference.
1) ChemotheraPop
Inspired by her grandmother’s experience with chemotherapy, Sophie Broderick, then age 9, created a frozen treat that would both nourish and comfort. In 2017, the fourth-grader was one of 318 inventors at the National Invention Convention and Entrepreneurship Expo. Sophie walked away with the Consumer Goods/Fashion Award for her ChemotheraPop.Hoping to create something more nutritious than the Fudgsicle her grandmother used to soothe mouth sores, Sophie experimented with fruit and protein powder. Her popsicles have 10 grams of protein, vitamins and other supplements that help quell chemotherapy’s worst side effects. ChemotheraPops come in three flavors: Raspberry Honey, Peanut-Butter Banana, and Maple Oatmeal.
2) IPack — IV Backpack
Kylie Simonds was only 8 when she was diagnosed with rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare childhood cancer that affects bone or soft tissue. Kylie needed chemotherapy treatment delivered by an IV tube attached to a pole. The pole was too heavy for her to push, and the wires tripped her when walking.Kylie devised a portable IV machine for kids that is placed in a backpack. It provides the mobility and freedom for kids undergoing chemotherapy or transfusions to go anywhere. Kylie's invention received four awards at the UCONN Invention Convention, including the "Patent Award," the highest award at the convention.
3) Pancreatic Cancer Sensor
In 2012 when he was a high-school sophomore, Jack Thomas Andraka was named winner of the Smithsonian American Ingenuity Award after developing test strips that detect pancreatic cancer. Hailed as a “teen prodigy” and “Edison of our times,” the then-15-year-old claimed that his method is far quicker, more sensitive and more accurate than any other test product on the market.The early detection test for pancreatic cancer that costs 3 cents and takes 5 minutes to run earned Jack international recognition and many awards, including a 2014 Jefferson Award, the nation’s most prestigious public service award. He is currently a junior at Stanford where he conducts research on nanorobots, inkjet-printed biosensors for environmental contaminants and diseases, foreign aid, international development, econometrics, and public health.
4) Oasis
After hearing about the death of 6-month-old infant who overheated in a parked car in his Texas neighborhood, 11-year-old Bishop Curry invented Oasis. It’s a fan with sensors that attaches to a child’s seat belt. If a child is left unattended in a vehicle, Oasis uses an app to alert the child’s parents and authorities while blowing cool air on the child until help arrives.His invention is currently in the design phase but protected by a patent. Curry's father is an engineer for Toyota, and the car manufacturer has expressed interest. Curry and his family traveled to Michigan in 2018 to present his prototype at an auto-safety convention. He’s also had talks with Evenflo, one of the leading manufacturers of car seats and child devices.
5) SMARTwheel
Concerned about the high number of accidents caused by distracted driving, three teens took action. Jaiden Evarts, TJ Evarts and Bryeton Evarts created the SMARTwheel device, which snaps onto any vehicle steering wheel. A patented sensing technology uses lights and sounds to tell drivers when they're distracted from their driving.Drivers can use a smartphone app to track their driving habits and monitor improvements. The teens made an impressive appearance on Shark Tank, and they even received an offer from the investors.Following the show, they decided to forego the offer and launch SMARTwheel on their own. They write, “It was a tough decision, but going solo will allow us to bring SMARTwheel to consumers as quickly as possible, and we want to do everything we can to stop the numbers of distracted-driving-related accidents from rising.”
