Teen Invents 20 Second Cell Phone Charger!What had you accomplished by the time you were 18? California native Eesha Khare won a $50,000 scholarship for inventing a supercapacitor that can charge a cell phone in about 20 seconds.
The Harvard-bound teenager last week received one of two Intel Foundation Young Scientist Awards for her work with energy-efficient storage devices.
Khare (pictured, left) developed a small device that fits inside cell phone batteries, allowing them to charge in 20 to 30 seconds. It also has the potential to work on car batteries.
Her invention, which weighs in just over an inch long, according to CNN, pushed Khare to the top of the class, helping her beat about 1,600 young scientists who competed in the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. Watch an excited Khare accepting her award in the video below.
The other Young Scientist Award went to 17-year-old Henry Lin, who simulated thousands of clusters of galaxies, which "provided scientists with valuable new data, allowing them to better understand the mysteries of astrophysics," Intel said.
"We support the [event] because we believe that science and math are the foundation of innovation, which is imperative for global economic growth and advancing society," Wendy Hawkins, executive director of the Intel Foundation, said in a statement. "This competition encourages millions of students worldwide every year to explore their passion for math and science while developing solutions for global challenges."
The competition's top prize, however, went to 19-year-old Ionut Budisteanu of Romania, who used artificial intelligence to create a viable model for a low-cost, self-driving car. Using 3D radar and mounted cameras, he was able to create a design for an autonomously controlled car that can detect traffic lanes and curbs, along with the real-time position of the car. The kicker: It would only cost $4,000.
Budisteanu received the Gordon E. Moore Award, which includes a $75,000 prize.
Additionally, more than 500 finalists received awards and prizes for their research, including 17 "Best of Category" winners who each received $5,000; each winner's school and the affiliated science fair they represented also got $1,000.
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