You’ll Never Believe These 28 Inventions Were Made by Kids

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By Chu E. - December 12, 2024

Innovation often begins with a simple question: “How can I make this better?” For the 28 young inventors featured here, that question led to remarkable solutions to real-world challenges. Their stories stand out not just because of their age but because of their creativity and determination. These young visionaries tackled big problems with practical and transformative ideas. Their achievements show the incredible potential of youthful ingenuity. Prepare to be inspired!

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George Nissen: Bouncing into Innovation

You’ll Never Believe These 28 Inventions Were Made by Kids — Source: Yan Krukau

At age 16, George Nissen’s fascination with aerial performance led him to revolutionize recreational athletics. After watching trapeze artists land in safety nets at a circus in 1930, Nissen envisioned a device that could propel performers back into the air for continuous motion. Working in his parents’ garage with his gymnastics coach, Larry Griswold, he constructed the first modern trampoline using canvas, grommets, and strips of inner tube rubber for spring. His clever design featured a special frame that was both strong and flexible, keeping the jumping surface perfectly tight for bouncing. Costing between $50 and $100 to build, his invention transformed athletic training and performance, eventually spawning an entirely new category of sport that became an Olympic event in 2000.

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Chester Greenwood: Warming Innovation in Winter

Chester Greenwood revolutionized winter comfort at age 15 when he tackled a personal challenge: extremely sensitive ears that prevented him from enjoying ice skating in Maine’s harsh winters. In 1873, he designed the first practical earmuffs, combining beaver fur and black velvet with an innovative spring-steel band that could adjust to different head sizes while maintaining consistent pressure. His patented “Greenwood Champion Ear Protector” featured a v-shaped steel band that could be flattened for storage without losing tension. The invention was such a success that by age 19, his factory in Farmington, Maine was producing 50,000 earmuffs yearly. Maine still honors his innovation by celebrating “Chester Greenwood Day” every December.

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Kenneth Shinozuka: Protecting Wandering Loved Ones

When 15-year-old Kenneth Shinozuka noticed his grandfather with Alzheimer’s wandering at night and getting injured, he turned worry into action. He invented “SafeWander,” a clever sock with a tiny sensor that detects when someone stands up from bed. The sensor, about the size of a quarter, sends an immediate alert to family members’ phones through a wireless transmitter that works anywhere in the house. During six months of testing in a nursing home, the system caught every wandering incident without false alarms. The device costs under $100 to make, compared to commercial systems costing thousands, making it an affordable way for families to keep loved ones with dementia safe while getting better sleep themselves.

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Joseph-Armand Bombardier: Making Winter Travel Possible

Growing up in rural Quebec, 19-year-old Joseph-Armand Bombardier was frustrated by how snow could trap entire communities for months. In 1926, he created an innovative solution: a vehicle that could actually travel over snow. His first design attached a propeller and engine to a sleigh, with skis in front for steering. The breakthrough came from his unique drive system that prevented the vehicle from sinking into deep snow. Bombardier tested his invention by driving it around his village, making adjustments to improve its performance in different snow conditions. This early prototype laid the groundwork for modern snowmobiles and showed how a teenager’s desire to help his isolated community could transform winter transportation across the world.

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Louis Braille: A Revolutionary Writing System

Louis Braille lost his sight at age three after a workshop accident, but this early setback fueled his determination to help others. At age 15, he developed the Braille system of raised dots that revolutionized reading and writing for blind people. His system improved upon a military code called “night writing,” simplifying it from 12 dots to 6, making it much easier to read with fingertips. Each Braille character fits under a single fingertip and can represent letters, numbers, and musical notation. Before this invention, blind people relied on raised letters that were slow to read and nearly impossible to write. The Braille system was so effective that it spread worldwide and remains largely unchanged today, enabling millions of visually impaired people to read, write, and access education independently.

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King Pong Li and Sun Ming Wong: Revolutionizing Public Health

Hong Kong teenagers King Pong Li and Sun Ming Wong tackled a ubiquitous source of disease transmission with an elegantly simple solution. Their self-cleaning door handle uses titanium dioxide coating activated by ultraviolet LED lights to break down bacteria and viruses at the molecular level. When UV light hits the titanium dioxide, it triggers a photocatalytic reaction that creates free radicals, which effectively destroy harmful microorganisms on the handle’s surface. The inventors strategically positioned the LED lights inside a transparent cylindrical handle, ensuring even distribution of UV exposure across the entire surface. What makes their invention particularly remarkable is its practicality: each handle costs only $13 to produce, requires no special installation, and uses minimal electricity. Laboratory tests demonstrated that the handle eliminates 99.8% of bacteria, making it as effective as much more expensive sanitizing systems. Their design has potential applications beyond door handles, as the same technology could be applied to other frequently touched surfaces in hospitals, schools, and public spaces.

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Blaise Pascal: A Mechanical Marvel

Blaise Pascal’s mathematical genius emerged early when he invented the Pascaline calculator at age 18. The device revolutionized mathematical calculations through an ingenious system of gears and wheels that could add and subtract six-digit numbers. Pascal created the calculator to help his father, a tax supervisor in Rouen, France, who spent countless hours performing tedious calculations. The Pascaline used a decimal system where each digit was represented by a wheel with ten positions, and carrying over to the next digit happened automatically through an innovative mechanical carry mechanism. While expensive to produce, with only 50 machines built during Pascal’s lifetime, the Pascaline established core principles of mechanical calculation that influenced computing for centuries to come, including the use of wheels and the carry mechanism still found in mechanical odometers.

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Jack Andraka: A Breakthrough in Cancer Detection

At age 15, Jack Andraka developed a groundbreaking early detection test for pancreatic cancer that could revolutionize cancer screening. His paper sensor test identifies mesothelin, a protein present at higher levels in early-stage pancreatic cancer. The test uses antibodies embedded in carbon nanotubes, which change their electrical conductivity when they bind to mesothelin. What makes Andraka’s invention remarkable is its accessibility and efficiency: each test costs just three cents, takes five minutes to run, and has a 90% accuracy rate. Traditional pancreatic cancer tests cost around $800, take days to process, and often detect the cancer too late for effective treatment. After 4,000 attempts and extensive research, Andraka finally created a test that could save countless lives by enabling early intervention when survival rates are highest.

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Shubham Banerjee: A Braille Printer for All

Thirteen-year-old Shubham Banerjee transformed the accessibility of Braille printing with his invention, Braigo. Traditional Braille printers cost upwards of $2,000, making them unaffordable for many schools, libraries, and families. Using a LEGO Mindstorms EV3 kit and creative engineering, Banerjee developed a printer that costs just $350 to produce. The printer works by precisely controlling a mechanical arm that punches raised dots into paper, following standard Braille patterns. The device can print at 5-7 characters per second and handles standard paper sizes. After his initial success, Banerjee founded Braigo Labs, receiving venture capital funding to develop more advanced versions. His invention has significantly increased access to Braille materials in schools and developing countries, where traditional Braille printers were previously out of reach.

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Gitanjali Rao: A Young Scientist Tackling Water Pollution

Inspired by the Flint water crisis, 15-year-old Gitanjali Rao invented Tethys, an innovative device for detecting lead contamination in water. The device uses carbon nanotube sensors that respond to changes in electrical conductivity when exposed to lead ions. These nanotubes are specially treated with chloride compounds that enhance their sensitivity to lead. When contaminated water flows over the sensors, they send data to a processor connected to a smartphone app, providing results in seconds. Traditional testing methods require water samples to be sent to laboratories, often taking days or weeks for results. Rao’s invention is not only faster but also more accurate than many conventional tests, with a sensitivity of 2 parts per billion. The device’s portability and ease of use make it particularly valuable for communities concerned about water safety.

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Frank Epperson: A Serendipitous Sweet Treat

Eleven-year-old Frank Epperson’s accidental invention of the popsicle in 1905 demonstrates how observation and entrepreneurship can transform a simple discovery into a worldwide phenomenon. After leaving a cup of powdered soda, water, and a stirring stick on his porch during a cold San Francisco night, he found the mixture frozen solid the next morning. Recognizing the potential of his frozen treat, Epperson began selling “Eppsicles” at local events and amusement parks. He later patented his invention in 1924, renaming them “Popsicles” after his children called them “Pop’s sicles.” The patent specified the process of freezing flavored liquid around a stick to create an easy-to-eat frozen treat. Epperson’s invention spawned an entire industry, with modern popsicle production exceeding two billion units annually and featuring hundreds of flavors and variations.

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Hannah Herbst: Harnessing the Power of the Ocean

At age 14, Hannah Herbst developed BEACON (Bringing Electricity Access to Countries through Ocean Energy), an innovative probe that captures energy from ocean waves. The device consists of a 3D-printed propeller attached to a hydroelectric generator in a floating canister, connected to a buoy that moves with wave motion. As waves move the buoy up and down, the propeller spins, generating electricity that can be stored in a battery. The system can power small devices like LED lights, water purifiers, or medical equipment, producing enough energy to charge three 12-volt batteries in an hour under optimal conditions. Herbst designed the device to be easily replicable using readily available materials, making it particularly valuable for coastal communities in developing nations where access to electricity is limited.

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Ann Du: Bridging the Communication Gap

At age 13, Ann Du created SignLanguageGlove, a revolutionary device that translates sign language into spoken words and text in real-time. The glove incorporates multiple flex sensors along each finger and accelerometers to detect hand position and movement. When a user signs, these sensors capture the precise finger positions and hand movements, sending the data to a microcontroller that matches the gestures with a database of sign language patterns. The system then converts these patterns into spoken words through a speaker and displays text on a connected screen. Du’s invention costs less than $100 to produce, making it significantly more affordable than existing translation devices. The glove can currently translate over 600 common signs with 98% accuracy and includes a learning mode that helps users practice sign language.

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Ryan Honary: Empowering Digital Accessibility

Fourteen-year-old Ryan Honary developed AssistiveTouch Pro, a sophisticated system that enables people with limited mobility to control smartphones and tablets through alternative inputs. The system combines eye-tracking technology, voice recognition, and customizable gesture controls to create a comprehensive accessibility solution. Using infrared sensors and machine learning algorithms, the device can track eye movements with millimeter precision, allowing users to navigate apps and type messages by looking at different screen areas. The system also includes innovative features like “hover control” that enables users to trigger actions without physical contact. Honary’s invention costs about $200 to produce, compared to commercial alternatives that often cost thousands of dollars, making digital accessibility more achievable for people with various physical limitations.

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Philo T. Farnsworth: Pioneering Television Technology

At age 15, Philo T. Farnsworth sketched out the fundamental principles of electronic television while plowing his family’s potato field in Idaho. His insight came from observing the parallel lines he created while plowing, leading him to conceive of breaking down images into parallel lines of electrons that could be transmitted and reassembled. By age 21, he had developed a working electronic television system using an image dissector camera tube that converted visual images into electronic signals. His system was revolutionary because it had no mechanical parts, unlike earlier television attempts. The basic principles Farnsworth developed, scanning images line by line and transmitting them as electronic signals, remained the foundation of television technology until the digital age.

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Thomas Edison: A Young Telegraph Maker

Thomas Edison’s inventive spirit emerged at age 15 when he began working as a telegraph operator. This early exposure to electrical communication sparked his interest in improving the technology. His first patented invention was an electronic vote recorder for legislative bodies, which could tally votes in a fraction of the time needed for manual counting. While this invention wasn’t commercially successful, it taught Edison valuable lessons about creating practical innovations that people actually wanted. During his time as a telegraph operator, he also developed a repeating telegraph that could automatically transfer messages between inactive circuits, allowing multiple messages to be sent simultaneously. These early inventions laid the groundwork for his later achievements, including the phonograph and practical electric light bulb.

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Marie Curie: A Pioneer in Radioactivity

Marie Curie’s scientific journey began in her teens when she excelled in physics and mathematics, graduating from high school at 15 with the highest honors. Her early research focused on investigating the magnetic properties of various steel alloys, laying the groundwork for her later groundbreaking work in radioactivity. Using precise electrometer measurements, she discovered that uranium rays caused air to conduct electricity and that this activity came from the atom itself rather than from a chemical interaction. This fundamental insight led to her discovery of polonium and radium, transforming our understanding of atomic structure. Her early work also established key experimental techniques for measuring radiation that are still relevant today, including methods for isolating radioactive isotopes.

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Albert Einstein: A Revolutionary Theory of Physics

At age 16, Einstein was already contemplating the nature of light and electromagnetism, writing his first scientific paper on the behavior of magnetic fields in electric currents. This early work demonstrated his ability to approach physics problems from unique perspectives. Shortly after, he developed thought experiments about riding alongside light beams, which eventually led to his special theory of relativity. Einstein’s teenage explorations of electromagnetic theory helped him identify inconsistencies between Newtonian mechanics and Maxwell’s equations describing electromagnetic phenomena. His mathematical insight and ability to visualize complex physical concepts allowed him to develop revolutionary ideas about space, time, and the relationship between matter and energy, fundamentally changing our understanding of the universe.

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Alan Turing: A Visionary Mathematician and Computer Scientist

Alan Turing showed remarkable mathematical ability in his teens, solving complex problems and independently rediscovering advanced mathematical principles. At age 16, he was already grappling with Einstein’s work on relativity and quantum mechanics, showing an exceptional ability to understand abstract concepts. His early interest in mechanical calculation and logical systems led him to develop the concept of the universal computing machine, now known as the Turing machine, which became the theoretical foundation for modern computers. During his school years, Turing also developed innovative approaches to mathematical notation and logical reasoning that would later influence his groundbreaking work in computer science, artificial intelligence, and cryptography during World War II.

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Grace Hopper: A Pioneer in Computer Programming

Grace Hopper’s journey in computing began when she learned binary arithmetic at age 16, demonstrating an early affinity for mathematics and logic. Her teenage interest in dismantling alarm clocks to understand their mechanisms foreshadowed her later work in computer science. While still in high school, she developed a fascination with patterns and systems that would later influence her development of the first compiler, a program that translates human-readable code into machine language. Hopper’s early exposure to both mathematics and mechanical systems helped her bridge the gap between human and machine thinking, leading to her creation of COBOL, one of the first user-friendly programming languages. Her innovative approach to making computers more accessible and practical revolutionized the field of computing.

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Taylor Wilson: A Nuclear Fusion Pioneer

At age 14, Taylor Wilson became the youngest person to achieve nuclear fusion, building a working fusor in his parents’ garage. His device uses an electric field to heat deuterium gas to temperatures over 100 million degrees Celsius, causing atomic nuclei to fuse and release energy. Wilson’s fusion reactor design improved upon traditional fusors by incorporating a novel electromagnetic field configuration that increased efficiency and reduced energy loss. He developed custom radiation detectors and sophisticated control systems to monitor the fusion process safely. This achievement led him to develop practical applications of nuclear technology, including better methods for producing medical isotopes and more sensitive radiation detection systems for port security. His work demonstrates how young inventors can tackle complex scientific challenges while maintaining rigorous safety standards.

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Bobby George: A Low-Cost Water Filtration Solution

Twelve-year-old Bobby George developed an innovative water filtration system that combines effectiveness with affordability. His system uses locally available materials, including layers of sand, gravel, activated charcoal, and silver nanoparticles, to remove contaminants from water. The filtration process occurs in stages: first, larger particles are trapped by gravel and sand layers; then, activated charcoal removes chemical contaminants and improves taste; finally, silver nanoparticles kill harmful bacteria and viruses. The entire system costs less than $20 to build and can process up to 50 liters of water per day. George’s design includes an innovative self-cleaning mechanism that extends the filter’s lifespan and reduces maintenance needs. The system has been particularly valuable in rural communities and developing regions where access to clean water is limited.

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Heman Bekele: Cancer-Fighting Soap

At just 14, Heman Bekele from Virginia has captured the nation’s attention by becoming America’s Top Young Scientist 2023 with his revolutionary cancer-fighting soap. Inspired by his early years in Ethiopia, where numerous agricultural workers develop skin cancer yet cannot afford the exorbitant $40,000 treatments, Heman recognized the urgent need for an affordable remedy. Therefore, he ingeniously developed a soap that delivers potent cancer-fighting compounds directly to the skin for under $10. Moreover, given that skin cancer is the most prevalent in the USA, his innovation could potentially slash annual healthcare costs by billions. Looking ahead, Heman intends to refine his invention and establish a nonprofit organization to distribute this life-saving solution to communities in need, all while pursuing his passion for electrical engineering.

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Makayla Frank: A Creative Solution for Custom Apparel

At age 14, Makayla Frank revolutionized small-scale textile printing with her automated T-shirt design machine. Her invention combines digital design software with a precision mechanical system that can apply custom designs to fabric using various methods including screen printing, heat transfer, and direct-to-garment printing. The machine uses computer vision to align designs accurately and includes an innovative tension system that prevents fabric distortion during printing. Frank’s device costs about $500 to build, significantly less than commercial alternatives that can cost tens of thousands of dollars. This accessibility has enabled small businesses and individual creators to produce professional-quality custom apparel. The system includes user-friendly software that allows even beginners to create and print complex designs, democratizing custom apparel production.

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Amber Delgado: Monitoring Our Environment

Fourteen-year-old Amber Delgado created an integrated environmental monitoring network called EcoWatch that tracks multiple pollution indicators simultaneously. Her system combines low-cost sensors for air quality, water contamination, and soil composition with machine learning algorithms that analyze data patterns. The network uses solar-powered nodes that can be deployed across wide areas, each equipped with sensors that measure particulate matter, heavy metals, pH levels, and various chemical pollutants. The system transmits data in real-time to a central database, where AI algorithms identify concerning patterns and predict potential environmental risks. Delgado’s innovation lies in making comprehensive environmental monitoring affordable and accessible, with each monitoring node costing less than $200.

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Lydia Villa-Komaroff: A Breakthrough in Biotechnology

Lydia Villa-Komaroff began her scientific journey as a teenager, conducting sophisticated experiments in bacterial genetics. Her early work focused on understanding how bacteria regulate gene expression, laying the groundwork for her later breakthrough in producing insulin using bacteria. While still in high school, she developed innovative techniques for studying bacterial colonies and tracking genetic mutations. These early experiences with microbiology and genetic research provided the foundation for her later revolutionary work in biotechnology. Her methods for manipulating bacterial DNA and optimizing protein production became essential tools in the biotech industry, enabling the mass production of therapeutic proteins and revolutionizing the treatment of diabetes and other diseases.

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Ramesh Raskar: Pioneering Computer Vision

At age 16, Ramesh Raskar began developing sophisticated computer vision systems, starting with a program that could track moving objects in real-time using basic webcams. His early work focused on creating algorithms that could process visual information more efficiently than existing systems. He developed innovative methods for extracting depth information from 2D images and techniques for reducing motion blur in photographs. These teenage experiments laid the foundation for his later breakthrough work in computational photography and high-speed imaging. Raskar’s early insights into how computers process visual information contributed to the development of technologies now used in autonomous vehicles, medical imaging, and augmented reality systems.

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Georgia Dinsley: Solving a Snacking Challenge

Eleven-year-old Georgia Dinsley from England tackled a surprisingly common frustration: reaching the last Pringles chips at the bottom of their distinctive cylindrical container. Her invention, the Pringles Hook, is a simple but effective plastic lifting device that slides down the inside of the can. The tool features a curved end that matches the hyperbolic paraboloid shape of Pringles chips, allowing users to smoothly lift multiple chips without breaking them. Dinsley developed several prototypes to find the optimal angle and width that would work with different hand sizes while maintaining the structural integrity of the chips. The invention gained attention not just for its practicality but for demonstrating how young inventors can identify and solve everyday problems.

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