Challenge Participants

Meet Laalitya. Laalitya hopes to revolutionize energy in developing countries by using vehicular motion to generate and harness clean and affordable energy.

Meet Anika. Anika hopes to find a natural sorbent which would be effective in replacing current environmentally damaging solutions to remedy oil spills, using pomegranate husk and orange peels.

Meet Austin. Austin hopes to improve the efficiency of renewable energy in developing nations using a unique low-cost solar tracker alternative.

Meet Rithvik. Rithvik's project deals with how specific plant components can be used to treat Alzheimer's disease.

Meet Simone. Simone hopes to improve tennis skills all while keeping the public active and healthy by making tennis more accessible.

Meet Kathryn. Her innovation, Lawn Bot, aims to reduce the amount of fresh water wasted during home lawn care.

Meet Samu. Samu created a framework-based application that allows users to create custom-tailored forms of visual and verbal interaction between desktop and mobile devices.

Meet Allie. Allie hopes to revolutionize the way people design medical equipment for children starting with the incentive spirometer.

Meet Devin. Devin hopes his innovation SLIDEMAP can act as the pathologists in third world countries while in developed countries it can aid pathologists and help them make more accurate diagnosis.

Meet Mythri. Mythri’s invention seeks to address the root cause of many life-threatening diseases, like cancer and Alzheimer’s disease. Her passion for science, research, and computational biochemistry fueled her desire to enter the Young Scientist Challenge. Mythri loves reading books, both fiction and nonfiction, on her Kindle.

Meet David. After hearing about the devastating tornado in Granbury, Texas last year, David started thinking about how technology could help locate victims in a disaster. He designed his rescue robot which he believes is unique in that it could survive being crushed and might be able to squeeze through smaller gaps.

Meet Ana. Ana thinks her invention, WANBRC, has the possibility to change thousands of lives. She hopes the resources of the Young Scientist Challenge will help improve WANBRC so she can help better the lives of others.

Ana's favorite invention of the last 100 years is the 3D printer because it can create anything from toys to clothing to tools for robots. 'If used effectively, it could cut manufacturing time and costs, and give the consumer incredible options for customization.'

Meet Christopher. Christopher’s computer cooling device, which generates electricity by harvesting the heat of the computer, is designed to help save the environment by reducing the consumption of electricity and be economical by reducing energy costs.

Meet Anthony. Anthony’s innovation helps to make driving safer by reducing the probability of hydroplaning. He thought the Young Scientist Challenge would be a fun opportunity to invent something new and help the world too.

Anthony’s favorite invention of the last 100 years is the automobile because it is the machine that transports people much faster to places.

Meet Jai. Jai saw the Young Scientist Challenge as an opportunity to challenge him in identifying and solving a major issue in the world. Past participants inspired him and Jai was also thrilled at the prospect of working with 3M mentors.

Jai enjoys exploring how to use technology to solve everyday problems. He’s even created a gaming system for the senior center where he volunteers and an automatic light dimmer that sense sound levels in a school cafeteria.

Meet Andrew. Andrew’s idea captures energy to recharge a battery using man’s favorite 4-legged friend! Andrew thought the Young Scientist Challenge would be a great opportunity to have fun and learn about science. In 15 years, Andrew hopes to be an electrical engineer.

Meet Nikita. Nikita entered the Young Scientist Challenge to showcase his talents, hoping it would help further his dream of going to college early. He also is fascinated by space exploration.

His favorite invention of the last 100 years is the International Space Station. “I like the idea of men living in space and I get fascinated by the opportunity of Space exploration.”

Meet Katherine. Katherine’s invention uses brainwaves to proactively prevent drowsy driving. With her invention, Katherine hopes to inform people of the dangers of drowsy driving, so they can lead safer lives.

Katherine’s favorite invention from the last 100 years is the internet because it’s a network that has connected people across the globe and changed the world. “People share information, work, and communicate through the internet all the time now.”