Kootenay kids will power the future with electric goo, four-legged charging stations and energized underwear
By Contributor
Imagine! You’ve just woken up in the morning to pre-programmed nature sounds and look out into the vast mountainous view on your surround screen walls. Before pulling on your underwear, you unplug your micro communications device from your waistband, and check on the electric goo levels of your in-home power storage system. Before settling in for breakfast, you take Fido for a quick jog around the neighbourhood to power up his wearable charging station – just long enough to power your coffeemaker. Ahh, such is life in 2050, powered by the dreams and imagination of Kootenay kids in 2013.
Could such a future be awaiting us? If the 2013 Kootenay Contraption Contest is any indication, the contest winners and tomorrow’s innovation leaders will have lots of creative ideas to draw on to power a bright future.
KAST-GLOWS (Growing, Learning Opportunities with Science) recently wrapped up the 2013 Kootenay Contraption Contest which posed the following challenge to Kootenay Boundary students.
“Imagine the year is 2050. Wind and solar energy are plentiful, but how will we store that energy to make it more useful?”
Kids aged six to 13 in Grades 1 to 8 submitted descriptive illustrations with their solutions. Judges from School District 20, FortisBC and KAST reviewed the many creative submissions, and are pleased to announce the winners:
Quinlan, a Grade 3 student from Kinnaird Elementary in Castlegar, was the grand prize winner of a brand new IPad Air for his innovation. Quinlan’s solution captures the suns energy through solar panels and transfers it in a special bioluminescent jelly. That jelly runs through a specially designed strainer which extracts the energy from the jelly. That energy is then fed through a pipe to dispense it as needed.
Winners at each grade level were also selected and won a pizza party for their whole class:
Grade 1/2: Keshet of W.E. Graham Community School in Slocan- energized clothes
Grade 3: Alexandra from Twin Rivers Elementary in Castlegar – thermal water conveyor
Grade 4: Everett from Twin Rivers Elementary in Castlegar – retro milk truck battery charging & delivery system
Grade 5: Ciaran from Kinnaird Elementary in Castlegar – magnetic rock solar cart
Grade 8: Tie between Indica and Logan of Nakusp Secondary School – outlet bracelet & pet mat battery pack
