Liam Pope-Lau (right) and Fraser Tuck wearing LifeHeat vests.

Inventor photos courtesy of families

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Think Big

Meet four kid inventors. They use creativity and science to bring their big ideas to life. 

LIFE-SAVING VESTS

Liam Pope-Lau and Fraser Tuck

Courtesy of families

Liam (front) and Fraser test chemicals for a LifeHeat vest.

Vancouver, Canada

THE PROBLEM: Two years ago, Liam fell into the ocean while sailing. His life jacket kept him safe. But the water was super cold! That inspired Liam and his friend Fraser. They wondered if they could invent a way to keep people warm in water emergencies.

THEIR SOLUTION: The boys created LifeHeat. That’s a life jacket that heats up in cold water. For two years, they experimented with chemicals that get warm when wet. In 2022, they jumped in water to test their vest. The vest got too hot! “It worked too well!” Fraser says. The boys continued their work. Now in eighth grade, they have a prototype that they showed to a local company. They hope to sell their LifeHeat vest to the public soon.

A BETTER BOTTLE

Madison Checketts

Courtesy of family

The Eco-Hero is a water bottle you can eat!

 

Eagle Mountain, Utah

THE PROBLEM: During family trips to California, Madison saw plastic water bottles all over the beach and in the ocean. She wanted to reduce this pollution. 

HER SOLUTION: Madison experimented with chemicals often used in processed foods. After two months, she had designed an edible bottle called Eco-Hero. Instead of throwing it away, you could eat it! There was one problem—it didn’t taste good! So Madison added lemon juice to change the flavor. The 12-year-old hopes Eco-Hero will inspire others to help the environment.

HEALING HEADPHONES

Leanne Fan

Courtesy of family

Leanne’s headphones treat ear infections! 

San Diego, California

THE PROBLEM: Leanne’s mom suffers from painful ear infections. That inspired Leanne to create a device that could help her mom and others feel better.

HER SOLUTION: This ninth-grader invented headphones that can spot and treat ear infections. If they detect you have an infection, they shine a special blue light into your ear for 45 minutes. That kills the germs that cause the infection. Last fall, Leanne was named America’s Top Young Scientist. She plans to use her $25,000 prize to make her headphones invention even better.

  1. What gave Leanne Fan the idea for her invention?
  2. Which invention was created to help the planet, and how does it work?
  3. Choose an invention from the article and describe a challenge the creator(s) faced during the invention process.
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