Posted on

Inventor Spotlight: Geeth Nunna

Our featured student inventor is Geeth Nunna, who created an interesting storage pouch. Her idea won a national level award as part of the “Student Ideas for a Better America” competition organized by the National Museum of Education. 

Here is Geeth talking about her invention in more detail.  

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

My name is Geeth Nunna and I’m in 5th grade! My interests-hobbies-favorite subjects consist of video games, social network, drama, acting, music, science, social studies, etc. And, my dream job(s) are to be a model, an actor, or a doctor/investigator helping discover new medical research.

What is your invention and how does it work?

My invention is a multi conventional storage pouch! Basically it has several layers, and each layer has a certain item(s), for example: The top layer has your pens, while the bottom layers have something else like your notes, food, or anything else of your choice.

What inspired you to develop this invention?

At the time I had made this invention, I was very interested in d.i.y’s. However, as I researched further about these “do it yourself” crafts they were very harmful to the environment as they used lots of plastics that couldn’t be recycled. So I decided to make something that could be used as several things, a lunch box, pencil case, cosmetics case, etc. And not only is this invention making less waste, it’s also made out of recycled items, so that it can be made out of someone else’s waste, and when the owner wants to throw it away it can also be re-recycled.

Did your prototype work? How was that experience? 

Yes my prototype did work on the first try, however our inventions had to be made out of cardboard and paper. Yet I still managed to make it work!

What are some things you learned from your MindAntix camp that will help you in the future? 

I learned a lot about adapting to new situations. For example, if one of my ideas didn’t work, I learned to change it to make it more useful for my purpose rather than trash the whole idea itself.

Who is your favorite inventor and why? 

My favorite inventor is George Washington Carver. This is because, to me, the whole purpose of inventing is for safety to people and the planet. Mr. Carver found 300 uses for peanuts again being resourceful and his creativity with the plant helped the whole world, and using one thing to make several others is another way of reproducing, again also helping the planet!

What kind of problems do you want to solve in the future?

I want to help the loss of animals in the ocean, due to litter. And I also want to help the homeless! 

How will you use your prize money? 

I’m not too sure right now, but I’m sure that I’ll find a good purpose for it.

Congratulations Geeth for winning the award! We hope to see you solve bigger challenges in the future.

Posted on

Inventor Spotlight: Pahal Sah

Our featured student inventor is Pahal Sah, who created a more useful backpack. Her idea won a national level award as part of the “Student Ideas for a Better America” competition organized by the National Museum of Education. 

Here is Pahal talking about her invention in more detail.  

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

Hi! I’m Pahal Sah, a 5th Grade Quest student at Albert Einstein Elementary. I love reading books about mystery and fiction, arts and crafts, playing board games, and playing with friends! My favorite subjects are Reading and Social Studies, mainly because of the fun projects we have.

What is your invention and how does it work?

My Invention is the Fluffy Carrier 9000, and it is a backpack, a normal one, but with a few extra features. One of them is the wheels and handle, like a suitcase. Whenever you pull the handle, wheels pop out of the bottom. I also added an expandable pocket in the middle, and if you unstrap it, the other side turns into a blanket! There are many pockets for school supplies, and another great part is that the backpack itself is waterproof.  

What inspired you to develop this invention?

Two problems inspired me – how wet backpacks got during rainy days, and that most of the time I couldn’t fit all my supplies in my bag at school. It was a real pain carrying my water bottle, folder, and lunchbox while trying to board a bus.

Did your prototype work? How was that experience? 

Yes, my prototype worked! I made a bag using construction paper; the hardest part was shaping it. I’m pretty sure I used some cardboard for the base, and I decorated it with even more “pockets”. For the wheel, I taped a small circle and the handle, I used a piece of construction paper to sort that out. I was very happy at the end when my prototype looked like an actual backpack! 

What are some things you learned from your MindAntix camp that will help you in the future? 

To think out of the box and to be creative. Later, I will have to make my own ideas not copy them from other people. I really loved how we were supposed to make our own inventions! 

Who is your favorite inventor and why? 

I don’t really have a favorite inventor. All the inventors stand out to me!

What kind of problems do you want to solve in the future?

In the future, I want to solve the problems that are affecting nature such as Global Warming, helping save endangered animals, and more. 

How will you use your prize money? 

I actually haven’t thought about that…maybe to get something I really want? Or maybe I could use it to get a new game or book!

Congratulations Pahal for winning the award! We hope to see you solve bigger challenges in the future.

Posted on

Inventor Spotlight: Manan Ghosh

Our featured student inventor is Manan Ghosh, who designed an interesting board game. His idea won a national level award as part of the “Student Ideas for a Better America” competition organized by the National Museum of Education. 

Here is Manan talking about his game in more detail.  

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

My name is Manan Ghosh. I’m in 5th Grade Quest at Ella Baker Elementary School in Redmond. My favorite subjects are Science and Math. During my free time I like to play Minecraft and build items in Paint 3D that I can use in Minecraft. My dream job is to be a scientist.

What is your invention and how does it work?

My invention is a board game called “Castles at Battle”. In the game, you move your pawn across the board to collect  resources such as Wood, Rock, Metal and Bricks. You then use these resources to build parts of your castle that then do battle with each other. As part of this, you can enhance the defenses of your castle by adding  things like Walls, Towers and Drawbridges, using the resources that you have collected. Resources also let you attack your opponent’s castles by buying attacks, like Knight Attack and Archer Attack. It is a game of moves and countermoves, as you try to get enough resources to defend your own castle while also collecting resources to attack your opponent. You win if you eliminate all other players, this is done by sending out an attack that deals more attack points then the defense points of the other castle.

What inspired you to develop this invention?

I like games involving war and when you have to focus on more than one thing to win. Making 3-D models of castles, walls and towers was a lot of fun and made playing the game more real.

Did your prototype work? How was that experience? 

I could not finish my prototype though I did make some of the 3D printed items for my game. Since it was my first time doing 3D printing and my game pieces were a bit complex, it took me more time than I expected. It was still a lot of fun.

What are some things you learned from your MindAntix camp that will help you in the future? 

I learned how to design 3D objects using new tools and print them. I have played board games, but it is different to think about board games from the point of view of the designer. You have to think about different things.

Who is your favorite inventor and why? 

Leonardo Da Vinci is my favorite inventor. He was an artist and also made many inventions in various fields.

What kind of problems do you want to solve in the future?

I would like to find ways to solve the problem of too much plastic and pollution in the oceans.

How will you use your prize money? 

I will save my money until I find some good use for it.

Congratulations Manan for winning the award! We hope you enjoy playing your board game with your friends and family.

Posted on

Inventor Spotlight: Nivedha Naren

Our featured student inventor is Nivedha Naren, who designed an interesting school supply. Her idea won a national level award as part of the “Student Ideas for a Better America” competition organized by the National Museum of Education. 

Here is Nivedha talking about her idea in more detail.  

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

My name is Nivedha Naren. I am a 4th grader at Albert Einstein elementary Quest program. I love reading fiction and it takes me into a dream world. I love art, math and science – especially when they can go together.

What is your invention and how does it work?

My invention is called a “Penyon”. It is a combination of a mechanical pencil and crayon especially made for artists. This contraption has the standard mechanical pencil on one side and slots on the other side where you can put crayons. You can get your choice of colored crayon at the press of a button. When not used, it helps store all your crayons safely in one place.

What inspired you to develop this invention?

In my after school, we had a large bin full of crayons that kids used on a daily basis. Most of the time, crayons were either broken or lost.  Also I found it hard to select the color I wanted from this large bin full of crayons. When I am doing my art, I always alternate between pencil and crayons. On many occasions, I have spent time searching for my pencil at different places.

Did your prototype work? How was that experience? 

I made a model of my contraption using construction paper. I made a cylindrical object from the construction paper along with a cone tip for the mechanical pencil. I then used different colored construction papers to resemble the crayons. I glued them on to the back of the pencil to create a ‘ model’ of my contraption. It was not a working prototype but a model. I ideated the working of the button based on the simple idea used in ballpoint pens – i.e. a button with a spring action to push the crayon. I initially thought of having one button per slot to select the crayon but then drew inspiration from a multi-colored pen to have only one color selected.

What are some things you learned from your MindAntix camp that will help you in the future? 

I loved MindAntix camp because it helped in bringing out my creative side. We were encouraged to think out of the box and share ideas. We always make our own things such as a full fledged puppet show where we designed the puppets from scratch. 

Who is your favorite inventor and why? 

I am inspired by many scientists and social workers. But recently i read about Ann Makosinski who became an inventor at the age of 15.  She invented a flashlight powered by body heat. I felt it was a great invention because it solved a very practical problem.

What kind of problems do you want to solve in the future?

I am very passionate about the earth and our environment. I am awed by the great colors around us. I want to solve problems that are destroying nature. I want to preserve the nature around us and its colors for our future generations to enjoy.

How will you use your prize money? 

Gosh.  I haven’t made any plans yet.  But I want to save 70% of the money for my future education and I will make some plans with the rest of the money. Perhaps, I will buy a pet tortoise!

Congratulations Nivedha for winning the award! We hope you get to play with your pet tortoise soon.

Posted on

Inventor Spotlight: Ayana Bharadwaj

Our featured student inventor is Ayana Bharadwaj, who came up with an interesting concept to make educational games more accessible. Her idea won a national level award as part of the “Student Ideas for a Better America” competition organized by the National Museum of Education. 

Here is Ayana talking about her idea in more detail.  

Can you tell us a little bit about yourself? 

My name is Ayana and I am in 10th grade. I enjoy playing the piano and doing Taekwondo. In school, I enjoy the STEM field. I want to become a computer scientist. 

What is your invention and how does it work?

My invention is a website that hosts educational board games that are easy to download, print and play for anyone. My goal was to make board games accessible for anyone in the world, so they can not only have fun but also learn in the process. These games have been designed by me and other students – it’s been fun for us to design the games and we hope that it’s fun for other children who play these games. 

What inspired you to develop this invention?

I noticed that many board games we had at home were also educational in some way. That made me realize that learning for a lot of us comes not only from schools but also from other games and activities that we participate in. However, for many people in this world education is a luxury, and many parents can’t afford to send their kids to school let alone get them games to help their education. By making these games free and printable, my hope is that kids with very few resources will be able to benefit. 

Did your prototype work? How was that experience? 

My prototype did work. The Google Site could be easily navigated and the games on the site were well liked among the test subjects. It was rewarding to see others appreciate the effort after working hard on developing not only the site but the individual games.

What are some things you learned from your MindAntix camp that will help you in the future? 

One thing I learned was the principle of Jugaad invention, or frugality. Basically, taking something that we use in our daily lives and trying to make it in the cheapest possible way, to benefit others who may not be able to afford those. 

Who is your favorite inventor and why? 

My favorite inventors are the Wright Brothers because flight seemed something of fantasy, but they designed a functioning glider. They also exemplify the frugal mindset – they didn’t have the same kind of money and resources as others who were working on making flying machines. Yet, they used their creativity and perseverance to be the first ones to demonstrate flight. 

What kind of problems do you want to solve in the future?

I want to solve problems that make things more equitable for everyone. I want to continue finding interesting ways to make things more affordable for others.

How will you use your prize money? 

I haven’t decided yet but I might use some of the money to help bring these games to students who need it most.

Congratulations Ayana for winning the award! We wish you the best in your future creative endeavors.