invent your world youth ventures

Invent Your World 2009Youth Ventures

“What can you invent to make life easier, the planet greener and the world better?”

That was the key question posed by the 2009 Invent Your World Challenge - a partnership between Ashoka’s Youth Venture and the Lemelson Foundation. More than 300 youth from 30 countries answered the call with their own invention ideas. Fifty invention ventures were launched.

Invent Your World 2009

USAA Biofilm Membrane

ACWa SystemAlgae Panels

AutoponicsChlorine Dispenser

Combination DeydratorEATS

Filters for FamiliesGHAMAS ABP

HanditoteMaking Waste A

ResourceRainwater for

HumanityRe-Green ElectronicsReeds, Halls & Optics

Sustainable TreehouseTruV

VERSATILE System

ARGENTINAAquaturbiAVANZA

Trici-X

CANADADynamic

PhotovoltaicsFRANCE

Edible Objects Handibot

KENYAChlorine Dispenser

Eco-San ToiletPromoting Child-to-

Child Safe WaterSmart Charger

MEXICOBioreactorDrosogasIluméxico

Industrial Oil Recyclers

Solar Pyramid

VANUATUDungoro Climate

Initiative

SINGAPOREAerosoar

PhilippinesFrom Agricultural

ResidueECUADOR

BIOCALEFON

NIGERIASkywater

INDIAAegis

BiocleanFan on Lamp

IceCube IndiaLift-Off Craft

Making Waste A ResourceRainwater for Humanity

Tractor-FactorTurn It Off

Urja

PERUBiodegradation

of CO2Eco-Cooling

Ecological Carousel

Homemade WaxHydroponic

Green FodderManjarpaWater-Saving Pedal

Excellence Award$20,000 scholarship

Trip to global roundtable on climate change at MIT

The VERSATILE SystemJavier Fernandez-Han, 15Houston, TX, USA

Achievement Award$1,000 prize

Trip to global roundtable on climate change at MIT

AVANZAPablo Alejandro Medrano, 23Andrea Céspedes, 25Salta, Argentina

Dynamic PhotovoltaicsEden Full, 16Calgary, AB, Canada

HandibotVincent Thiberville, 19Champs sur Marne, France

Rainwater for HumanityCarolyn Aker, 18Providence, RI, USA

Ashoka Lemelson Awards

Nate BallHostPBS Design Squad

Anil ChitrakarFounderEnvironmental Campsfor Conservation Awareness

Anne SwiftFounderYoung Inventors International

Eric WilhelmCEOInstructables.com

Invent Your World Judges

“An invention that is narrowly focused on solving a single problem often inadvertently

creates more problems because nature is highly complex and

interconnected.“

Javier Fernandez-HanAge 15

Houston, TX, USA

1. The VERSATILE System

Javier Fernandez-Han, 15Houston, TX, USA

At the tender age of 9, Javier Fernandez-Han found his calling: design for the other 90 percent - help the world’s poor meet their basic needs sustainably.

Extensive research and design have led to an innovative solution: The VERSATILE System - a mashup of new and existing technology that treats waste, produces methane and bio-oil as fuel, produces food for humans and livestock, sequesters greenhouse gases, and produces oxygen.

What drives this complete energy resource system? Algae - the little organism that could. Gone are the days when algae are viewed only as “pond scum.”


Learn More

USA ALGAE FUEL SOLAR WASTE CLIMATE MAP

http://www.slideshare.net/YouthVenture/versatile-system

http://www.slideshare.net/YouthVenture/versatile-system

“Every 30 seconds, there is an amputation due to diabetes,

which translates to more than one million amputations a year. The good news is that 85% of

these amputations can be prevented.“

Pablo Alejandro MedranoAge 23

Salta, Argentina

2. AVANZA

Pablo Alejandro Medrano, 23Jovita Andrea Céspedes, 25

Salta, Argentina

Pablo Alejandro Medrano has seen the impact of “diabetic foot” first hand. His own grandfather suffered from diabetes, developed an infection on his feet, and had to have both legs amputated.

This explains his passion for AVANZA, a venture Pablo launched with Andrea Céspedes to make disposable cellulose insoles for diabetics. They help users better oxygenate the feet, maintain better hygiene, and prevent infections that can lead to amputation.

The insoles meet doctors’ recommendations for feet care and are new to the Argentine market.


ARGENTINA HEALTH MAP

“What began as a simple personal interest in solar energy turned into something more meaningful when I realized I could use my passion for science to help

others improve energy accessibility in

developing countries.“

Eden FullAge 16

Calgary, AB, Canada

3. Dynamic Photovoltaics

Eden Full, 16Calgary, Canada

Harvesting solar energy can be a costly enterprise but Dynamic Photovoltaics is making it more affordable - and efficient - by developing the first cost-effective solar panel tracking system capable of accurate movement.

That means the panels can follow the sun’s movement throughout the day. More direct exposure means better performance.

Not only is the system easy to operate, it is also made of commonly found affordable materials, making it easy to maintain in developing countries.


CANADA SOLAR MAP

“By giving handicapped people access to artistic creation, we are hoping to create a feeling of liberation.“

Vincent ThibervilleAge 20

Champs sur Marne, France

4. Handibot

Vincent Thiberville, 19 Champs sur Marne, France

Handibot’s mission is simple yet ambitious: create robots that can help physically and mentally challenged people express their creativity through painting.

It started when a painter who acquired polyarthritis asked Vincent Thiberville to create technology that could help him paint despite his illness. Since then, Vincent has developed seven prototypes to address different needs.

The latest modification allows the used paint water to be disposed of in an environmentally-friendly way.


Watch Video

france ASSIST ROBOTICS MAP

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6FEVVBWUtM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6FEVVBWUtM

“As students in a country where we can choose which type of

water to drink, we want to give everyone access to what should

be a basic human right.“

Carolyn AkerAge 18

Providence, RI, USA

5. Rainwater for Humanity

Carolyn AkerAndrea Krukowski

Providence, RI, USA

Rainwater for Humanity helps villagers of Kuttanad, India harvest rain in order to conserve water, empower women entrepreneurs, and boost community health.

The team of Brown University students have optimized the design of rainwater storage reservoirs and catchment systems, ensuring that they are simple, sustainable, and eco-friendly.

Using locally available materials, they construct cisterns with 265 ft3 capacity and built-in purification systems to capture rain from existing rooftops. Each structure will provide a family with a year’s worth of clean water, eliminating disease as well as save them the four hours a day that would otherwise be spent gathering water.


usa INDIA water MAP

Other invention ventures...

A Biofilm Membrane

Tiara Marshall, 17Brentwood, NY, USA

Biofilm Membrane project aims to provide a cost-effective solution to water contaminated by oil using biofilm membranes. By creating a filtration system that can be used in developing countries, the Biofilm Membrane project is an environmentally sound and inexpensive approach to provide individuals in regions with oil spills with clean water.

It started when Tiara Marshall began researching water quality and oil contamination two years ago. Tiara’s passion to make positive changes in the field of environmental science motivated her to start Biofilm Membrane. She plans to continue her work as she enters college focusing on environmental science.

USA pollution WATER MAP

Invent Your World 2009LEME41

ACWa System

Javier Fernandez-Han, 15Houston, TX, USA

ACWa System seeks to provide affordable clean drinking water to the world’s poor by harnessing geothermal and solar energy to produce clean water from hot, humid air through condensation.

ACWa’s uses a two-pipe system, one within the other. Its engine is a roof-mounted metal vent which gets really hot, causing air to rise and drawing replacement cool air into the small pipe, which in turn helps condense humid air in outer pipe.

In three years time, Javier Fernandez-Han and his team will have three functioning ACWa Systems serving communities in developing countries.

USA water geothermal solar MAP

Invent Your World 2009WATE12

Aegis

Rupesh Manne, 20Hyderabad, India

Rupesh lives in one of the most polluted regions of India. Many people, particularly women and small children, are prone to the harmful effects of air pollution caused by industry. Rupesh determined to combat the effects of toxins and pollutants entering the environment. In 2009, he teamed up with Santosh and Venkatesh to launch Aegis.

With the help of the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, the team will develop a device that releases green catalysts, chemical compositions that effectively neutralize airborne toxins. In the short-term, the team will sustain itself by selling pollutant-absorbing plants. In the longer term, the team hopes to manufacture and sell products that improve air quality at the household level.

INDIA POLLUTION MAP


Aerosoar

Chew Yee Ng, 20Singapore

Aerosoar - made up of a team of young engineering students in Singapore - is developing a windmill that is affordable and environmentally friendly for people living in poverty.

It will be portable in the sense that i tcan be taken down to be relocated.

Led by Chew Yee Ng the team will focus on developing the portable windmill along with a complementary awareness campaign on renewable energy and environmental conservation.

singapore energy wind MAP


Algae Panels

Erica Lawson, 17Merrimack, USA

The Merrimack Biodiesel Crew is working to lowering truck emissions on our national highways by developing durable algae panels that could be attached to the top of trucks. Panels will be connected to the exhaust system so that emissions would pass through the algae panels before entering the atmosphere.

The project is being led by Erica Lawson who came up with idea after attending the 2007 Biodiesel Conference. There she met venture capitalists who shared their interested in using algae as feedstock for biodiesel.

USA ALGAE FUEL pollution MAP


Aquaturbi

Carlos Llaytuqueo, 16Junin de los Andes, Argentina

This project is being implemented in remote indigenous Mapuche communities in the southeast Neuquén province in Patagonia, Argentina, where many of the inhabitants live without modern conveniences such as electricity. The inhabitants in these areas live off the land raising animals, such as sheep and cattle, and could greatly benefit from electricity, which would provide refrigeration for their products. By harnessing a local resource, running water, this project will provide electricity to families for the first time through their innovative hydraulic turbine design, incorporating wheels from local carts and iron.

ARGENTINA WATER ENERGY MAP


Autoponics was launched in 2009 by Alessandro, Eric, Adam, and Ned to further explore the potential of hydroponics, the process of growing plants in enriched water instead of dirt. Despite the name, Hydroponics operations use 90% less water than soil farming. Even though hydroponics has been used commercially, high-costs of building facilities have prevented this technology from becoming more widespread. Autoponics proposes to explore ways to make this technology less costly and more efficient. The team will develop a small, automated hydroponic greenhouse that will produce food on a regular basis. The team’s innovation is a motorized mechanism that will rotate seeds and plants to optimize exposure to sunlight and enriched water.

Autoponics

Alessandro Banducci, 14Shoreline, WA, USA

USA AGRICULTURE WATER MAP


BIOCALEFON

Santiago Pionce, 23Riobamba, Ecuador

BIOCALEFON derives its name from the adapted use of two primary technologies: a bio-digester and a Calefon (hot water heater in English). The bio-digester is designed to produce energy from locally available organic resources, such as manure. This innovation is specifically designed for people living in impoverished areas, including the indigenous area of Páramos (where the pilot will take place), much of which lacks running water and electricity.

It will provide inhabitants with access to hot water, improve health conditions (cleaning, washing, and hygiene) and reduce environmental damage caused by the cutting of forests for firewood.

ECUADOR ENERGY WATER MAP


Bioclean

Amandeep Verma, 23Kochi, India

When Amandeep went to visit his aunt in his village in northern India, he would watch as she cooked using bio-gas, a slow process. After some research, Amandeep discovered that bio-gas cooking is time consuming because of the high carbon dioxide content. He also discovered that calcium oxide can neutralize the carbon dioxide to form calcium carbonate. Calcium carbonate in turn can be used to neutralize the effects of acid rain. Having established the chemical process, Amandeep is now focused on building a CaO tower, a tank of solid Calcium Oxide that neutralizes pollution-causing CO2 to form CaCO3, producing two important end products - a bio-fuel that burns cleaner and faster and a compound .

INDIA BIOFUEL ENERGY MAP

Invent Your World 2009MTVE133

Biodegradation of CO2

Martin Vasquez Nunez, 16Lima, Peru

Biodegradation of CO2 is a project which aims to reduce environmental contamination using micro-organisms (predatory bacteria of carbon monoxide). This project includes the construction of a bioreactor prototype capable of recovering the contaminated air from automobile exhaust and factories/manufacturers and converts the air into pure air.

This bioreactor prototype will serve to purify contaminated air as well as for purpose of technological demonstration and training of the students in my community about how to combat environmental contamination/pollution using our own technology at a low cost.

PERU pollution MAP


Bioreactor

Juana Cortes, 23Chetumal, Mexico

This project is developing a prototype for a bioreactor to separate organic waste, from liquids and other waste products, which can then be used in the production of organic fertilizers that can be used on various plants and crops. Apart from producing an environmentally sustainable fertilizer the bioreactor will also reduce and/or separate pollutants and toxins that can have harmful effects on the community’s health.

The team plans education and training activities as well as the promotion and use of their bioreactor to change the way people think about and treat trash in their corner of Mexico.

MEXICO AGRICULTURE POLLUTION MAP


Chlorine Dispenser

Tylor Hess, 21 Rebecca Smith

Boston, MA, USA

MIT students Tylor Hess and Rebecca Smith designed a point-of-collection chlorine dispenser to prevent diareheal diseases in rural western Kenya.

Their design is similar to many modern water filters found in the U.S. but relies on materials available in almost any village in Kenya. They have already visited the sites where they wish to implement the dispenser.

Over the next three years, they will continue to improve the dispenser’s design and disseminate the technology throughout Kenya.

USA KENYA WATER MAP


Combination Dehydrator/Decondenser

Andrew Barth, 17 Fayettville, GA, USA

The WHS InvenTeam is currently working to develop a combination dehydrator/decondenser for farmers in developing countries so that they can dry their produce before it spoils, thereby preserving produce that is no longer viable for sale. In doing so, farmers can store the dried produce during the off-season.

Led by Andrew Barth, the team is currently investigating the possibility of harvesting extracted water from the dehydrator to obtain potable water.

usa AGRICULTURE water MAP


Drosogas

David Guerrero ZárateVillahermosa, Mexico

Drosogas is addressing the global problem of dependence on fossil fuels by developing a functioning and easy to use biogas digester that uses Drosophila melanogaster larvae and organic waste to produce clean energy.

By using organic waste from fruits and vegetable, they hope to provide an alternative energy source that is available to a larger segment of the population while also improving the environment and health conditions.

MEXICO BIOFUEL ENERGY MAP


The Dungoro Climate Initiative is building the first composting toilet ever built on the island of Vanuatu. Up until now, the island nation used pit toilets however these toilets often leaked into the drinking wells. Villagers have been forced to dig more wells farther in to the forest, which means cutting down more and more trees.

Joe Marias and his team reviewed compost toilet designs and adapted them to meet the needs of locale. The team is using readily available local materials to ensure lower construction cost and easier maintenance.

Once they complete construction of their first toilet, the team plans to travel to neighboring islands to help implement construction of their composting toilet throughout the region.

Dungoro Climate Initiative

Joseph Marias, 19Port Vila, Vanuatu

VANUATU WASTE water CLIMATE MAP


EATS

Andrew BRAREN, 16Wethersfield, CT, USA

Easy Access Transport System (EATS) produces an assistive technology device that will allow wheelchair users to comfortably access items stored behind their chairs. The team has already constructed their first prototype, a device strong enough to shoulder the full weight of a 25 pound backpack. Next, the team plans to build a motorized prototype.

The next few years will see the team refine their designs to make EATS both cheap and easy to use. In the future, they will mass produce the technology for - potentially - 200 million wheelchair users around the world.

usa ASSIST MAP

Invent Your World 2009??????

Eco-Cooling

Javier Cuya Ramirez, 16Lima, Peru

We designed a “homemade” refrigerator constructed from local materials that were easy to obtain at a very low cost. Thanks to our design it is posible to preserve cold foods without the need of electricity and this refrigerator can be used anywhere! We will implement five of these refrigerators in our school in-order to validate the effectiveness of our eco-cooling invention.

This product which we have developed has the potential to help 70,000 people who do not have access to electricity in our district.

PERU ENERGY MAP


Eco-San Toilet

Moses Odhiambo, 24Kisumu, Kenya

The Eco-San Toilet team uses local materials to construct composting toilets throughout their community. The toilet uses the principle of anaerobic respiration where decomposition is carried out without moisture. The result is an organic fertilizer that can be used on local farms.

The project started when team leader Moses Odhiambo was working as a volunteer in his town. He noticed the spread of water-born disease in his community due to poor sanitation and began to think of how to help solve the problem.

KENYA WATER waste AGRICULTURE MAP


Ecological Carousel

Alejandro Diaz, 16Jimena de los Heros, 10

Lima, Peru

Our project consists of implementing a human-powered carousel that can convert plastic bottles into small particles that can then be melted down and used as the primary resource in the production of recycled plastic objects.

We plan to sell these small plastic particles to recycling plants and then we will receive profits to re-invest in our project. We have designed a carousel that is connected to a plastic machine (grinder). These grinding machines normally function with an electric motor, but in our case we will take advantage of the playful energy of children.

PERU waste MAP


Edible Objects

Ronan Le Vacon, 18Ines Le Bihan, 19Le Foeil, France

Edible Objects is a venture that seeks to address environmental issues like waste and use of energy by designing objects that allow us to change the way in which we eat. Putting to good use their design studies, Ronan and the team are creating objects and utensils for eating that can themselves be consumed.

Like the ice cream cone, the objects created by this venture will not produce waste or require energy to be disposed of once the foods they hold or are used to eat have disappeared. A range of everyday eating utensils that are fun to use and can be broken down by the act of eating itself will help to reduce waste and pollution … in a pleasurable way.

FRANCE WASTE MAP

Invent Your World 2009MTVF20

Fan on Lamp

Vaibhav BarnwalSwapnil Jain

Chennai, India

Today more than 1.6 billion people are deprived of electricity and most use kerosene lamps to light up their homes. However these lamps are not very efficient, wasting upwards of 95% of the energy they use in the form of heat. In Chennai, India, Vaibhav Barnwal and Swapnil Jain came up with a solution.

They combined the kerosene lamp, sterling engine technology, and a normal table fan to come up with FAMP. This is a device that produces light through the kerosene lamp, and uses the heat energy to power a fan that makes living conditions more pleasant. Even though they’ve already produced a working prototype, the team hopes to perfect this design and make it affordable to all people in rural India.

India energy MAP


Filters for Families Abroad

Annie Bartholomew, 15Palos Verdes, CA, USA

The mission of Filters for Families Abroad is to help families in developing countries have access to clean drinking water. After testing and comparing different filter designs, Annie Bartholomew created her own design, combining the strongest aspects of the various designs.

The filters are made with cheesecloth, sand, gravel, and mesh filters – components that are relatively inexpensive and easy to obtain locally in developing countries, making them easy-to-use and relatively inexpensive to make and maintain.

usa water MAP


The Agricultural Residue to Cement Bounded Blocks team is using local materials, in particular palm frond, to create sustainable blocks for building and construction.

Mark came up with idea after witnessing how much palm frond was being burned because it was seen as an agricultural waste. Mark and his team are educating others in how to create palm blocks so that they can build cheaper housing in low-income areas.

From Agricultural Residue to Cement Bonded Blocks

Mark Gervasa, 24Tacurong, Philippines

philippines agriculture waste pollution MAP


GHAMAS Algal Biodiesel Project (ABP)

John Snyder, 17Hartford, CT, USA

The Algal Biodiesel Project aims to find a clean and commercially viable method for creating biodiesel fuel from algae. Unlike gasoline, petrodiesel, and traditional alternative fuels like ethanol, which are expensive and harmful to the environment, biodiesel has the potential to be both environmentally friendly and sustainable.

Through their research, the team is refining its processes of algae cultivation, oil extraction, diesel conversion and even building its own photobioreactor in order to develop an energy and cost efficient process.

usa algae biofuel energy water MAP


Handitote

Charles SherburneNorfolk, VA, USA

Seeing that wheelchair users sometimes had to rely on store clerks to get their wallets for them, Charles Sherburne came up with an idea.

He invented Handitote, a ferris-wheel type tote on the side of the chair that allows users to store various belongings, including glasses, checkbooks, wallets, and makeup.

It has an electric arm that rotates the tote to make all compartments easily accessible.

Charles and his classmates hope to spread this invention to various communities in the Norfolk area.

usa ASSIST MAP


Homemade Wax

Sharina Lavado, 15Lima, Peru

Floor wax, one of the most commonly used home care products, usually contains harmful chemicals such as cresol, formaldehyde, nitrobenzene, etc.

This venture aims to produce low cost and eco-friendly wax made of locally-sourced natural ingreidents, including animal fat and natural pigments from plants. The wax will be anti-allergic and easy to produce.

The team will make enough wax for their school and then launch a small business to sell it to their community. In the process, the venture can also transfer business management skills to students through trainings and workshops.

PERU MAP


Hydroponic Green Fodder

Lesly Moreno Gonzales, 15Lima, Peru

Our venture cultivates grains (cereals and legumes) in indoor environments that are controlled for light, temperature and humidity. Our technique of cultivation is based on using substrates other than soil and we will be using a modern system of trays and irrigation mounted onto a stable structure.

We will do this in greenhouses which permit the production and growth of plants even in dry seasons or other adverse climate conditions.

The main objective of our project is to produce a small education (school) farm that will produce good quality food at a low cost for the students of our school.

PERU agriculture MAP


IceCube India

Hemant Sahal, 20Gurgaon, India

When visiting his hometown in rural India, Hemant Sahal was struck by the number of people suffering from heavy metal poisoning. The source of this harmful waste is small-scale industry, which lacks the knowledge and resources to prevent the release of harmful by-products into local water supply.

To address this problem, Hemant teamed up with classmates in 2009 to launch CALLMAT. The team has envisioned a technology that will use immobilized calixarenes to remove toxic metal ions and pollutants from water. Easily suspended in collection tanks of water requiring treatment, CALLMAT will prove a cost-effective way to increase the supply of clean water to households and farmers.

INDIA POLLUTION WATER ENERGY MAP

Invent Your World 2009??????

Iluméxico

Manuel Wiechers, 22Mexico

Manuel Wiechers launched Iluméxico to manafucature and distribute a cost-effective and efficient lighting system based on solar technology. It consists of a photovoltaic panel, a charge controller, a battery and an LED lamp.

Iluméxico will target families that currently use kerosene, gasoline, candles and other contaminating and dangerous sources, which generally eat up 25% of the familyʼs income.

To pay for the system (US$77), families can opt into a micro-finance scheme where the monthly payments do not exceed the costs of existing systems they are using.

MEXICO SOLAR ENERGY MAP


Industrial Oil Recyclers

Gustavo Salazar Resendiz, 17Mexico

A group of 5 youth in Mexico realized a big problem in the country is the pollution created by small garages that discard used oil in the drainage without any treatment. In response, they developed a small device to process and separate waste from used oil.

This invention will allow businesses which donʼt usually have sufficient resources to access affordable processors and reduce water pollution.

The venture also offers a service to collect used oil and process it in a properly way.

MEXICO POLLUTION WATER MAP


Lift-Off Craft

Piyush Kant VermaVellore, India

In all parts of India factories force laborers to lift, carry, and transport 70 kgs (154 lbs) of cement on a frequent basis.

Piyush Kant Verma and some of his classmates started thinking of a way to make the lives of these laborers easier. They knew that these laborers usually used bicycles to transport cement, so they decided to invent an apparatus to lift, secure, and lower the load from the ground the bicycle.

This apparatus consists of a hydraulic pneumatic system that lifts a platform and secures it on the bicycle. It can be installed on most labor bicycles which are more structurally sound than average, everyday ones.

India assist MAP


Watch Video

The main goal of Making Waste a Resource is to construct urine-separating, dry composting toilet in an urban slum in Mumbai, India. In doing so, the team will help the local population convert organic waste into a renewable resource in the form of fertilizer. Furthermore, the toilet will prevent open defecation, which is a public health hazard.

Working with local NGOs on the ground, Jasmine Wang and her team of fellow Berkeley students will also initiate education programs designed to inform the local population of the health benefits of using the composting toilet. The team will communicate with farmers to coordinate the sale of the fertilizer. The income generated would then go back into the maintenance of the toilet and the creation of new toilets.

Making Waste A Resource

Jasmine Wang, 18Berkeley, CA, USA

INDIA usa WASTE POLLUTION WATER ENERGY MAP


Manjarpa

Ricardo Cubbin Garcia, 13Lima, Peru

Our venture creates “Manjarpa” and “Andean Cereals” - two new foods designed to deliver sufficient protein to two vulnerable groups: children and elderly.

Both products are made with potatoes and milk (or soy milk) to deliver key nutrients to all types of consumers - diabetics, lactose intolerant and elderly who can’t chew.

They will be used in a pilot nutrition project at our school to address malnutrition amongst our students.

PERU health MAP


Promoting Child-to-Child Safe Water

Juliana Omondi, 22Ugunja, Kenya

Kenya health WATER MAP


Most of the major ailments affecting children in Kenyan villages are water-borne and hygiene-oriented.

Promoting Child-to-Child Safe Water System and Hygiene was launched in 2009 by Emily, Juliana, and Nicholas to increase their supply of clean drinking water and educate on hygiene.

Specifically, the team plans to equip 400 households with solar water pasteurization systems (consisting of used water bottles, black polyethene, and other locally available material), hand washing stands, and liquid soap dispensers.

Re-Green Electronics

Benjamin Lampert, 18Salem, OR, USA

usa ENERGY MAP


Re-Green Electronics uses joule thief circuitry to “steal” small but measurable amounts of energy from so-called “dead batteries” to power a variety of everyday appliances.

Benjamin Lampert and his team are currently creating several prototype lamps that will use this recycled energy from dead batteries. Their goal is to provide such lamps to impoverished areas where longevity and cost are important factors.

LEME180

Reeds, Halls and Optics

Andrew Amis, 17Alex Amis

Clinton, MS, USA

usa energy MAP


Andrew believes electric motor technologies can help avert the climate crisis and power human industry. For the past three years, he has been researching ways to increase their efficiency and performance, all the while looking for ways to simplify design and keep costs down. In 2009, he teamed up with his brother Alex to launch Reeds, Halls, and Optics to take this research to the next level. Based in Mississippi, the team will construct, test, and modify designs for a fleet of 11 electric motor prototypes.

In the future, the team will look to scale up their prototypes, making them proportionally larger and more powerful. Produced on a mass scale, these improved electric motors could power cars and other fossil-fuel- dependent machines at a much lower cost to our planet.

LEME170

Skywater

Michael Alumku, 21Makurdi, Nigeria

Nigeria water MAP


Millions of people in Africa lack access to clean drinking water. Many turn to sources that are unsafe for consumption and end up contracting water-borne illnesses. To address this, Michael, Joseph, Ernest, Christy, and Utaan launched Skywater in 2009.

The team will adapt the Skywater Machine, an existing technology that condenses water stored in the atmosphere into its liquid form. Specifically, an additional condensing unit will increase its water-producing capacity two-fold, to more than 2000 liters per day. 5 to 10 taps will transport water from the machine to strategic locations in the community.

The team will use its seed funding to build the technology and purchase items needed for an HIV/sanitation awareness campaign. To sustain itself, Skywater will seek funding from the Youth Ministry of the State Government and other philanthropists.

LEME56

Smart Charger

Pascal Katana, 22Nairobi, Kenya

KENYA ENERGY MAP


Good communication is essential for trade but in rural Kenya, electricity can be scarce and thus electrical devices cannot be used. Pascal Katana, set out to alleviate this problem by developing a gadget that makes use of the energy generated by bicycles in order to charge mobile phones and small rechargeable batteries that can power radios.

He is currently in the design phase and is producing the first prototype to be tested in the university that he is attending. In April 2010 Pascal hopes to implement his invention into 5 urban villages to get feedback from the users.

Solar Pyramid

Geovanni Roblero Adorno, 15Mexico City, Mexico

MEXICO SOLAR ENERGY MAP


This project is combining different models and technologies, while using local resources to provide a practical and cost effective solar heater for rural communities. Solar Pyramid is starting as a pilot for 100 families in the community of Nopaltepec and will have a direct and positive impact on the environment. The use of the solar heaters will reduce the dependence on gas, which is costly and can have damaging health effects, and firewood, which is contributing to deforestation and is a labor intensive activity.

The project is also providing education to community members on the technology as well as the environmental benefits of implementing their solar heaters.

Sustainable Treehouse

Emily Nunez, 19Middlebury, VT, USA

usa SOLAR water MAP


Emily Nunez is building a “sustainable treehouse” on the Middlebury College campus that srves the dual purposes of an outdoor classroom and a place where elementary school students can learn about environmental stewardship.

The design incoroprates passive solar heating, rainwater catchment, ceiling fans instead of air conditioning, reused timber, and a corn burning stove for gas heat, in addition to other eco-friendly features.

MTVE81

Tractor-Factor

Shailesh Upadhyay, 23Ujala Shanker, 24

Vellore, India

Tractor-Factor designed a circuit to tap into the battery of a tractor to power one compact fluorescent light at night.

Shailesh and Ujala came up with the idea after Shailesh found it difficult to study for school at night in his village because of frequent power cuts and the pollution from toxic lanterns that were being used as an alternative light source.

The team has implemented their project in 17 homes in the village and plan to expand their reach throughout the rest of the village.

iNDIA health ENERGY pollution MAP


Watch Video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwjXJhGbTHI







This venture was inspired by a physically disabled child, named Matías, who wanted a tricycle. After meeting Matías a group of students went to work in their school working on designs that would help him and other children with physical disabilities achieve their dreams of riding and owning a tricycle. The team focused on different designs to make the tricycle safer and found ways to reduce inhibiting costs, by using various local materials, to make the Trici-x more affordable and accessible to families that have disabled children.

The team is working tenaciously to harness more local resources and materials to reduce the costs even further.

Trici-X

Ferreyra Facundo Imanol, 16Buenos Aires, Argentina

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TruV

Cody Smith, 17Palm Bay, FL, USA

When Florida teen, Cody Smith, was told he couldnʼt get a driverʼs license because of his visual impairment, he hoped he could turn to technology for help. But months of research yielded nothing that could help legally blind people like himself see distant objects easily and comfortably.

For a while, he became “angry at the system.” But not for long. When a video camera was given to him for Christmas, gears in his mind started to turn and the idea for TruV was born.

TruV combines existing technologies to make a new low-vision aid for people who are visually impaired to legally blind. TruV makes “video glasses” using a camera with zooming capabilities.

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“I’ve been building stuff since I was able to walk. Since then I’ve

been to robotics competitions around the country and placed

high in a few. Now it’s time to enter the real world and solve some of the issues we face.”

Cody SmithAge 17

Palm Bay, FL, USA

Turn It Off

Sagar Naupada, 19Visakhapatnam, India

Turn It Off aims to develop a power saving gadget that will enable the user to turn off appliances in a room automatically when no one is present in the room. The team is particularly focusing their work to meet the needs of large organizations such as universities and hotels that consume and waste significant amounts of energy.

Sagar and his team came up with the idea while in school at Gitam University n India. They were tired of seeing the lights in their university classrooms being left on when no one was using the classrooms and decided to do something about it.

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Urja

Pankaj Pansari, Kolkata, India

Launched in 2009 by Pankaj, Shrey, and Chidambaram to increase the supply of clean, affordable source of electricity in India, Urja will develop a low-cost small solar electric generating system. This technology will use heat drawn in from solar collectors to generate and store thermal power. At an estimated cost of just 30,000 rupees (roughly 630 USD), the system has the potential to power homes, households, and small-scale industry.

In the future, the team hopes to build Urja into a succesful business venture, one-day emerging as a leader in the production of alternative energy.

india solar energy MAP


Water-Saving Pedal

Diana Atencia Rios, 24 Lima, Peru

Our Project “Water-Saving Pedal” is a device that controls the flow of water from the faucet of a conventional sink using one’s feet. The advantage of using ones’ feet in order to control the flow of water compared with the standard valve system turned on and off by hand is a consumption savings of 70%! Our device is housed in a rectangular structure that is arranged below the sink and connected to a system of tubes which supply water to the faucet. When a user needs to use the sink (for example to wash their hands), they only need to step on the pedal located below the sink to start the flow of water on their free hands. This generates an important water saving process.

PERU water MAP


Issue Tags 1 Invent Your World 2009AGRICULTURE (6)AutoponicsBioreactorCombination Dehydrator/DecondenserEco-San ToiletFrom Agricultural Residue to Cement Bonded BlocksHydroponic Green Fodder

ALGAE (3)Algae PanelsGHAMAS Algae Biodiesel ProjectThe VERSATILE System

ASSIST (6)EATSHandibotHanditoteLift-Off CraftTrici-XTruV

BIOFUEL (3)BiocleanDrosogasGHAMAS Algae Biodiesel Project

CLIMATE (3)Dungoro Climate InitiativeTurn It OffThe VERSATILE System

ENERGY (19)AerosoarAquaturbiBIOCALEFONBiocleanDrosogasDynamic PhotovoltaicsEco-CoolingFan on LampGHAMAS Algae Biodiesel ProjectIceCube IndiaIluméxicoMaking Waste A ResourceRe-Green ElectronicsReeds, Halls and OpticsSmart ChargerSolar PyramidTractor-FactorTurn It OffUrja

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FUEL (2)The VERSATILE SystemAlgae Panels

GEOTHERMAL (1)ACWa System

HEALTH (4)AVANZAManjarpaPromoting Child-to-Child Safe WaterTractor-Factor

POLLUTION (10)A Biofilm MembraneAegis Algae PanelsBiodegradation of CO2BioreactorFrom Agricultural Residue to Cement Bonded BlocksIceCube IndiaIndustrial Oil RecyclersMaking Waste A ResourceTractor-Factor

ROBOTICS (1)Handibot

Issue Tags 2 Invent Your World 2009

SOLAR (7)ACWa SystemDynamic PhotovoltaicsIluméxicoSolar PyramidSustainable TreehouseUrjaThe VERSATILE System

WASTE (8)Dungoro Climate InitiativeEco-San ToiletEcological CarouselEdible ObjectsFrom Agricultural Residue to Cement Bonded BlocksMaking Waste A ResourceThe VERSATILE System

WATER (19)A Biofilm MembraneACWa SystemAquaturbiAutoponicsBIOCALEFONChlorine DispenserCombination Dehydrator/DecondenserDungoro Climate InitiativeEco-San ToiletFilters for Families AbroadGHAMAS Algae Biodiesel ProjectIceCube IndiaIndustrial Oil RecyclersMaking Waste A ResourcePromoting Child-to-Child Safe WaterRainwater for HumanitySkywaterSustainable TreehouseWater-Saving Pedal

WIND (1)Aerosoar

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