innovation competitions

WySII 2023

If you thought my high school days were only filled with debates and rugby mud, think again! In Form 3, my teachers encouraged us to join the World Youth STEM Invention Innovation competition. As a 15 year old, the idea of actually bringing my crazy ideas to life was too exciting to pass up.

I gathered a few of my friends which are Anis, Elyas, and Mu’iz, who were totally on board to innovate with me. I naturally fell into the role of the ‘main thinker.’ I pitched a few ideas to the group, and to my absolute shock, they were incredibly easygoing and immediately loved my favorite one.

The Problem: We all know that sinking feeling when your phone is at 1%, your power bank is completely dead, and there is no charging port in sight. Plus, the world is heavily relying on non-renewable energy, which is terrible for the environment.

The Solution: What if your backpack could generate its own electricity just by you carrying it?

I didn’t just want to sew a power bank into a bag; I wanted to create green energy. So, we invented the Power Strap.

Here is the secret science behind it : we used PVDF film, which is a brilliant piezoelectrical material. When you wear the backpack, the mechanical stress and force from the weight of the bag press down on the PVDF films located in the straps. That force is magically converted into an electrical current! The current flows through wires and a diode, goes into a boost converter to amplify the voltage, and directly charges a power bank hidden inside the bag.

Essentially, the more you walk, the more battery your phone gets!

Even though the core concept was quite simple, the execution was entirely our own. We even filmed a whole pitch video for our online submission (you can actually check out my 15 year old self explaining the science on my YouTube channel here!).

And you know what? That ‘simple’ idea was powerful enough to secure us the Silver Award in the entire competition!

Looking back, it wasn’t just about winning a medal. It was the realization that you don’t need to be a billionaire or an adult scientist to create something that solves a real-world problem. You just need a good idea, a great team, and the courage to actually build it

13c 1-tec 2024

As I moved into Form 4 and Form 5, my brain was still buzzing with random ideas. By this point, I realized that my best innovations always came from trying to solve my own daily frustrations. And let me tell you, living in a boarding school, there is one universal tragedy we all have to face: The Broken Dorm Water Dispenser.

Picture it like this. It is late at night, your stomach is rumbling, and all you want is a hot cup of chocolate or a quick bowl of instant noodles. You walk over to the Coway machine, push the hot water button, and… warm, lukewarm sadness comes out. The Coway machines near our dorm were constantly acting up, and I was incredibly frustrated. How on earth was I supposed to survive without my hot chocolate?!

So, I did what any desperate, innovative student would do: I decided to build my own water dispenser.

I gathered my lovely classmates and closest friends which are Qasrina, Isna, and Aisya and formed a brand new team. Because my mind is always running at a million miles an hour, I naturally became the ‘main thinker’ again. I pitched them my crazy idea, and we got straight to work.

We called our invention AquaFlavor.

We didn’t just want a normal water dispenser; we wanted to build the ultimate dorm survival kit. Since we were working on a strict student budget, our prototype was completely DIY and a little messy, but the science behind it was flawless! Here is what we did.

The Eco Filtration: We used an activated charcoal, sand, and rock filtration system to make sure the water was super clean.
The No Electricity Temperature Control: This was the best part! Instead of relying on electricity (which we couldn’t easily plug in), we routed the water through insulated tubes and used physical Hot Packs and Cold Packs to control the temperature. You could get perfectly hot or cold water anytime!
The Twist: We made it a customizable flavor station! We added a feature where you could instantly infuse your water with whatever flavor you were craving whether a hint of lemon, a splash of mint, or sweet chocolate.

You can actually watch our full, slightly chaotic but super fun pitch video for our online submission right here: AquaFlavor Pitch Video.

Even though our prototype was made out of used containers, water hoses, and pure determination, the judges absolutely loved the creativity and the ec -friendly, budget saving aspect of it.

Against all odds, our messy little dorm project actually won the Gold Medal at the I3C competition! It just goes to show that you don’t need a massive budget to create a brilliant, award-winning solution because sometimes, you just really, really need a hot cup of chocolate.”