Bringing out the scientist
It was inspiring ideas that took the helm at the School Inventors Competition, hosted by the Sri Lanka Association for the Advancement of Science (SLAAS), in concurrence with their 69th Annual Sessions. Held at the Faculty of Science of the University of Kelaniya, recently the competition, was split up into four age categories. While organizers ensured that every competitor would walk away with either a bronze, silver or gold medal there were some inventions that stood out.
“Our main purpose is to promote scientific innovation among youngsters, and encourage them to be scientists,” says Joint General Secretary of the SLAAS, Dr. M.M.M Najim. Adding that every year they have excellent participation from outstation schools, including this year too which saw a plethora of students from rural schools participating. According to organisers around 150 creations are screened down from over 500, after strict verifications of originality. The Mirror Magazine caught up with a few young inventors.
Kavindu Rasanjana with his invention. Pix: Athula Devapriya
Kavindu Rasanjana of the Gnanodaya Maha Vidyalaya, Kalutara presented a mosquito coil ash collector which depends on the laws of gravity to ensure that the ash will consistently fall into a container. Dotted around the halls were such feasible inventions, while some such as Asmita Kareem’s Hydraulic Backhoe loader system was awe-inspiring. K. Sudaron and S. Paviththiran, both from St. John’s College Jaffna presented an automatic floor cleaning machine and a multi-purpose visual board respectively.
The gold medal in the Grade 6-7 category was won by Hiruni Maneesha Weerakoon of Gnanodaya Maha Vidyalaya, Kaluthara who had come up with a renewed coconut scraper, which prevents scraped coconutfrom being lodged between the wedges of the blade. This feat was accomplished by strategically cutting out gaps in the blades of the scraper, allowing the scraped coconut to fall through. Hiruni says that her invention saves time, while avoiding injuries caused in trying to obtain the excess coconut.
The competition was a little more heated up in the Grade 8-9 category with a significant increase in technological components used. Thirteen year old D. T. Jayarathne of Trinity College Kandy, having won the silver medal for his invention of wirelessly measuring the water level indicator of a tank, tells us that the competition has boosted his interest in electronics and he is constantly improving his creations.
Samitha Prasad, Nethindu Ridmika, Gayan Chathuranga were awarded the silver medal for their efficient vegetable peeling and washing machine enabling a large quantity of vegetables to be cleaned and chopped in time.
Nikitha Iddagoda of St. Sylvesters’ College Kandy won the gold for a modern interpretation of the Sundial, in which LDRs (Light Dependant Resistors) were used to map the Sun’s position on a wall-clock. While S. M. Sooriyarachchi, M. Adayaperuma, and Janith Chathuranga were also awarded gold for their work.
The next age group -Grades 10-11- threw a mix-bag of inventions, ranging from mosquito repellents to industrial machines. While an interesting invention by Ishan Chamara of Bomiriya Central College facilitates disabled persons to bathe easily. Being disabled himself, Ishan drew strength from it to come up with this ingenious invention. Essentially a bucket with a trapdoor on the base, it takes away the need to flip the bucket over to bathe, rather pulling a lever once the bucket is hovered overhead will release the water.
Ishan shared the gold along with Madushan Nuwanpriya of Mahanaga National School Angunukolapelessa, who created a machine that enables Mushroom planters to produce bags of sawdust which are properly compressed, aiding the cultivation of mushrooms.
One of the brightest inventors made his appearance in the Grade 12-13 category, with an astounding five patents already in his name. Prabath Nandana Kumarasinghe, of Dedigama Perakumba Maha Vidyalaya proved his mettle as a seasoned inventor, bagging two gold medals for his patented safety tea seave and constant volume measuring funnel. Other practical inventions by Prabath included a magnet-laden hammer that disposes nails, and a safety bottle which reduces spillage.
Visit www.slaas.lk and gear up for next year’s competition.