10 child inventors who decided to make the world a little better (11 photos)

Although children see the world a little naively and emotionally, their openness to the world, flexible thinking and creative abilities are what adults sometimes lack. The children from this collection decided to do something useful for this world. They have created inventions to solve problems ranging from headphones that use blue light to treat ear infections to special sneakers that help people with dementia. Let's look at the useful and unusual inventions of children from all over the world.





1. Alexis Lewis



In 2011, severe drought caused famine in Somalia and then a serious crisis. Local residents sought refuge for their families in refugee camps and rescue centers. Many children, unfortunately, died before reaching refugee centers, including due to the lack of transport. Then a 12-year-old boy named Alexis Lewis from the United States learned about the heartbreaking news and decided to help. The boy invented a rescue cart, which, according to his idea, could be used to transport food and even small children.

This boy also invented an "emergency kit" that includes a smoke mask, safety glasses and an LED strip, all contained in a ball-shaped case. It can easily be thrown out of a window, for example, during a fire.

2. Lynn Fan





14-year-old Lynn Fan from San Francisco is convinced that “health care should be available to everyone.” The girl decided to help people who suffer from ear infections. Unfortunately, the problem is quite common, especially in disadvantaged countries where residents do not have access to emergency medical care and treatment.

Lynn invented special headphones that treat middle ear infections in children using blue light. These headphones have been shown to have the potential to prevent up to 60% of hearing loss. The girl developed headphones so that children could listen to their favorite music during treatment. In October 2022, Fan won the top prize at the annual US Young Scientist Competition for her idea.

3. Christopher Bayog



More than 55 million people worldwide suffer from dementia - and there is no cure. 8-year-old Christopher Bayog knows this too. His grandmother suffers from dementia, and when one day she was taken to the hospital because she could no longer live with her family, the boy took this issue seriously. He decided to help people with dementia and invented special sneakers called D Shoes. They have a built-in alert mechanism in the sole that makes it easy to locate a person with dementia if they become lost or separated from others.

This is not the boy's only invention. He has also started working on a device that converts salt water into drinkable water and wants to produce reusable water bottles.

4. Bishop Curry



Since 1990, more than 1,050 children have died due to high temperatures when left in cars. 11-year-old Bishop Curry did not stand aside when he learned about these shocking facts. He saw a local news report about a six-month-old baby in his neighborhood who died after being left in a car in the sun. The boy made an invention called Oasis - it can be attached to the headrest or car seat inside the car. The device consists of a fan that reacts to high temperatures and turns on automatically if the temperature in the cabin begins to rise. If parents do not respond to the signal, the device will send a message to law enforcement agencies, indicating the location of the child.

5. Kylie Symonds



11-year-old Kylie Symonds is a survivor of rhabdomyosarcoma, the most common type of soft tissue cancer in children. She managed to defeat the disease, and now the girl is in remission after 46 weeks of chemotherapy. During one lesson at school, she was given homework - to invent a thing that would solve some problem. And the girl invented a backpack for IVs. She placed a device with medicine in a school backpack so that sick children would not have to constantly be under a stationary drip. With such a backpack, a child can move around calmly, even with an IV. The girl made her invention together with her parents and after consulting with doctors. She received four awards for her invention.

6. Anne Makosinski



A 15-year-old Canadian named Anne Makosinski learned that her friend living in the Philippines was struggling in school due to lack of electricity and limited daytime classes. It turns out that approximately 30% of Filipinos do not have access to reliable electricity. To solve this problem, the girl invented a thermoelectric flashlight that runs on the user's body heat. The flashlight shines due to the heat of the hand. Her invention took first place at the Google Science Fair 2013.

7. Justin Rivard



School shootings are a serious problem in the United States. Since 2009, there have been more than 288 school shootings in America. Justin Rivard, 15, noted that his school doesn't have a good response to such emergencies. The guy invented the JustinKase device. It is a structure made of steel plates, rods and a handle that can be placed under a school office door or mounted on a door frame. With its help, the door cannot be opened, even if great force is applied.

8. David Cohen



Last year, 12-year-old David Cohen researched the problem of mosquitoes and malaria in his home state of Texas. The boy's sister took antibiotics for several weeks after contracting a staph infection from a mosquito bite wound - and David decided to do something to make others pay attention to the problem. He created a robot that can kill mosquitoes while still in their larval stage, thereby preventing the diseases they carry (in particular, malaria and West Nile fever).

But the guy didn't stop there. A year later, David decided to help the tornado victims. He invented a robotic earthworm that can move underground and look for people under rubble. In addition, one of the robot’s functions is to deliver necessary items and medicines to the victims.

9. Riya Karumanchi



14-year-old Riya Karumanchi from Canada has developed a cane with built-in GPS navigation called Smart Cane. The idea came to the girl after she met her friend’s visually impaired grandmother - the woman had difficulty moving around the house using a regular cane. The cane invented by the girl can indicate the direction of movement to the user using sound signals. For example, if one signal sounds, it means that you need to turn left, and two signals mean that you need to turn right. If the user suddenly falls, the cane will notify family members or first responders.

10. Jack Andraka



16-year-old Jack Andraka invented an innovative method for diagnosing pancreatic cancer. The guy lost a family friend due to this disease, so he took this issue seriously. First, Jack read scientific publications on the use of carbon nanotubes for diagnostics, and also listened to a lecture from his biology teacher about antibodies. Using knowledge from several sources, he developed a test that can detect pancreatic cancer in its early stages. The young inventor worked in the laboratory for 7 months, coming there after school and on weekends.

His nanotube test detects the protein mesothelin in the blood, a key marker for detecting cancer. This is a device similar to a glucometer, and according to Jack, it is several times faster and cheaper than previously used analogues. Some experts believe that this technique can be used to detect other types of cancer.