Youth inventors showcase innovations at RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals

The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation recently hosted the ninth annual RTX Invention Convention U.S. Nationals, drawing over 435 young inventors from across the United States. 

Held in June, the event provided a platform for these budding innovators to present their inventions, pitch ideas to the casting team from ABC's Shark Tank, and interact with alumni who have secured patents for their projects.

The multi-day event culminated on 7 June with an awards ceremony hosted by Albert Lawrence, a correspondent for The Henry Ford's Innovation Nation. More than 77 awards, including cash prizes, trophies, medals, and patent applications, were distributed.

Among the standout inventions was "BlindSpace," created by 8th grader Arnav Chaphalkar from Illinois. BlindSpace is an AI-powered device designed to assist blind and visually impaired individuals. 

By pressing a button on a walking stick, the device captures a photo of the surrounding environment and provides a verbal description through an earpiece. 

Chaphalkar's invention earned him four awards: Most Innovative Award presented by RTX, Patent Application Award presented by WilmerHale, 8th Grade – 1st Place Award, and Health and Medical Award presented by Danaher Foundation.

The competition highlighted several key themes, including environment and sustainability, health and medical, and safety. The programme aims to instil lifelong confidence in invention, innovation, and entrepreneurship among students.

Invention Convention Worldwide, the organisation behind the event, is a K-12 programme aligned with national and state education standards.

During the 2023-2024 school year, more than 178,000 K-12 inventors from across the country participated in Invention Convention Worldwide programmes, competing to advance to the U.S. national competition.

 Students compete at local and regional levels before moving on to the national competition. Participants must submit a video presentation of their invention, a prototype, an inventor's logbook, and a poster board highlighting key points of their invention process.

Select finalists from the U.S. Nationals will be invited to compete virtually against finalists from Mexico in the Invention Convention Americas 2024 presented by RTX, with an awards ceremony scheduled for 22 August 2024.

"RTX has supported Invention Convention for over 30 years with funding, leadership, and volunteers to help inspire and encourage students to develop an interest in STEM career paths," said Juan de Bedout, senior vice president & chief technology officer at RTX. 

"Our partnership with Invention Convention provides an intentional bridge between education and industry – preparing students across the country to be visionaries and inventors."