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What is the Inventeam?
What is the Inventeam?
The InvenTeam is a group of 10-15 high school students who apply for a $10,000 grant from Lemelson-MIT to invent an innovative solution to a problem affecting their community or even the world using STEM. If selscted, the team will get a chance to present their invention at EurekaFest at MIT.
Week 1(August3-7): Grant Application Packet
Week 1(August3-7): Grant Application Packet
Notes and Planning Document: My teacher divided the team into smaller groups in order to make the task of reading the 18 page Grant Application packet easier. This packet outlines the steps the team need to make in order to qualify for the grant and move on to the second part of the process which is the submission of the final application .
I was assigned to take note of the major points of the Invention Statement in the Grant Application. The Invention Statement utilizes specific information from the background research as the problem is identified. The statement also identifies the performance/ reach of the invention as it goes through “different phases”.
I was assigned to take note of the major points of the Invention Statement in the Grant Application. The Invention Statement utilizes specific information from the background research as the problem is identified. The statement also identifies the performance/ reach of the invention as it goes through “different phases”.
Week 2 (August 10-14): Brainstorming
Week 2 (August 10-14): Brainstorming
The 1st step in our process of devising a new invention is Brainstorming. My teacher tasked us with using a website called Coggle to come up with ideas. Coggle is essentially a website where a group of people can create a diagram or map of ideas. It starts with one idea and then other people can branch off of that one idea, creating all sorts of paths or even create their own separate one. We basically are identifying all the problems related to a very broad topic and then we will come back and brainstorm solutions to those problems. Therefore, the problem that we identified will be resolved by our invention!
Coggle Diagram 1: Covid-19
This diagram is a map of all problems related to the pandemic. The problems range from how Covid-19 has negatively affected the economy to hospitals being overwhelmed with increasing number of cases to the adaption of a virtual learning environment.
This diagram is a map of all problems related to the pandemic. The problems range from how Covid-19 has negatively affected the economy to hospitals being overwhelmed with increasing number of cases to the adaption of a virtual learning environment.
Covid-19 has created many problems for the world as a whole. But for the people who are visually/hearing-impaired it has created yet another barrier. A few of my peers and I branched off of the Covid-19 idea and created a new section listing the problems for people who are blind and deaf being affected by the pandemic. Many cannot attend school. and are forced to learn from home where they my not have to the tools to succeed. Some of the solutions we devised were a text to sign language feature on a platform like Zoom.
A closer look at my contribution to the Covid-19 Coggle Diagram.
Coggle Diagram 2: Random/Unknown Ideas
This Coggle consists of ideas that didn't fit with the broad topics of the other Coggle diagrams. There were mentions of problems like the lack of access to drinking water in third-world countries to even how America isn't accessible for the disabled.
This Coggle consists of ideas that didn't fit with the broad topics of the other Coggle diagrams. There were mentions of problems like the lack of access to drinking water in third-world countries to even how America isn't accessible for the disabled.
Coggle Diagram 3: Systematic Racism
We decided to make a mindmap of this issue because the injustices that Black Americans face are now "in the limelight" (to an extent). The map lists problems such as the lack of training that U.S law enforcement undergo, how redlining and gentrification affect black communities, and even how medical misinformation harms black people.
We decided to make a mindmap of this issue because the injustices that Black Americans face are now "in the limelight" (to an extent). The map lists problems such as the lack of training that U.S law enforcement undergo, how redlining and gentrification affect black communities, and even how medical misinformation harms black people.
The yellow lines show some of my contributions to the diagram. I listed some examples of Black Americans who were wrongfully treated by law enforcement and seen as potential threats even though they were doing nothing remotely close to anything similar to criminal activity.
A closer look at my contribution to the Systematic Racism Coggle
Coggle Diagram 4: Local Problems
This diagram consists of all of the problems that we have noticed affecting the Metro Atlanta area. This includes Crime, Gentrification, Traffic, and even Homelessness.
This diagram consists of all of the problems that we have noticed affecting the Metro Atlanta area. This includes Crime, Gentrification, Traffic, and even Homelessness.
A closer look at my contribution to the Local Problems Coggle Diagram.
The 3 problems that I listed were that Atlanta is a food desert, the number of stray dogs increasing in Atlanta neighborhoods, and old trees damaging power lines. These are problems that I have noticed in my neighborhood but I did no further research on those topics.
Coggle Diagram 5: Climate Change
This diagram lists all of the problems related to how climate change is affecting our Earth. We started to map out problems like the melting glaciers In Alaska, the large hole in the Ozone Layer, and even the harmful effect of Carbon Emissions due to the usage of fossil fuels.
This diagram lists all of the problems related to how climate change is affecting our Earth. We started to map out problems like the melting glaciers In Alaska, the large hole in the Ozone Layer, and even the harmful effect of Carbon Emissions due to the usage of fossil fuels.
Week 3 (August 17-21): InvenTeam Ideas Compilation
Week 3 (August 17-21): InvenTeam Ideas Compilation
This week, each member of the InvenTeam had to propose 3 ideas from the brainstorming session and created 3 corresponding slides about our solution to the problem of our choice. We also had to conduct research and find statistics on our potential invention idea. Then, conduct a search on Google Patents to see if any other individuals had already created a patent similar or exactly like our proposed invention. If so, that invention would be ruled out since the patent already existed.
My 1st idea (Slide 1 and slide 2): -I proposed an invention that could be added to Zoom that would translate spoken audio/speech into corresponding sign language. The target area would be people who are hard of hearing (deaf) especially students who wouldn't be able to attend face to face school due to COVID-19.
My second (Slide 3 and 4): -To address the problem of the blind community always relying on the help of the sighted, I proposed the idea of a stationary device that could help the blind with identifying objects so they can complete everyday chores like laundry.
My 1st idea (Slide 1 and slide 2): -I proposed an invention that could be added to Zoom that would translate spoken audio/speech into corresponding sign language. The target area would be people who are hard of hearing (deaf) especially students who wouldn't be able to attend face to face school due to COVID-19.
My second (Slide 3 and 4): -To address the problem of the blind community always relying on the help of the sighted, I proposed the idea of a stationary device that could help the blind with identifying objects so they can complete everyday chores like laundry.
Week 4 (August 24-28): Writing the application (Part 1 )
Week 4 (August 24-28): Writing the application (Part 1 )
For this week, my teacher divided the team in rooms based on the 5 ideas we chose. We worked in groups to complete the background research document for each of the 5 ideas. I was tasked with doing the patent search for the Homeless sanitization invention. Then we voted and chose the final idea of Owen's underground compression trashcan. We devised this invention due t0 the fact that a lot of trashcans in local parts were not being dumped due to the impact of COVID-19.
During class, we worked on the 4 different parts of the application in Breakout rooms. I was assigned in Room 2 which was in charge of the Organization, Team Roster, Collaborations & Timeline. I completed the task of completing the Evaluation and Testing part.
Week 5: A Step Back
Week 5: A Step Back
We had to go back a step due to the fact that our teacher sent us a link of an already patented invention that was too similar to our proposed idea (underground trashcan). As well as other competitive ideas for our other top ideas. Consequently, we had to go back to the Coggle diagrams and look for a winning idea. At this time, it was about a week before the application was due but we were in an "idea drought". We spent countless hours on zoom calls, throwing out any thoughts we had in our brains about a potential invention. Then, Owen threw out "the winning idea" which was in the total opposite direction of our previous invention ideas and toward the concept of social justice.
Final Idea + Application
Final Idea + Application
Innovation Statement
Police in the United States disproportionately stop, cite, arrest, use force, and kill black men. Our leaders have failed to act to abolish qualified immunity for police officers, and they fail to mandate effective use of police body cameras, making them ineffective sources of data around policing. The number one reason for police interactions with the public is a traffic stop. Our integrated system offers a visual warning to all POs that the exchange will be recorded; it collects evidence about what has occurred while the driver was operating the vehicle, including speed, erratic motion, stops, seat belt use, and phone use that the user can access. As a police officer approaches the vehicle, a recorded warning that the interaction is being recorded and will be available to the public is played. At the same time the driver of the vehicle can begin recording a video that will ultimately be uploaded to a public domain. All police interactions that are recorded will be temporarily stored in a private database and will eventually be published to a public site. The recording will be tied to the police department as well as the badge number of the police officer. Through the crowdsourcing of videos collected by our device, we will increase transparency in police interactions with the community while creating a library of police work that is attached to each police officer. We will protect evidence of interactions in which police officers use force and when deadly force is used, our device will make the public aware immediately when the footage is uploaded to the public domain.
InvenTeam Video
engineering video.movFinal Application Document
Announcement Day
In a zoom meeting, our team found out that we had been selected as Lemelson-MIT Inventors and would receive the 10k grant to make our invention a reality.
Press Release Announcement
On October 27, 2020, Lemelson-MIT announced the InvenTeam winners from high schools all across the country to the public. The one circled in red is our InvenTeam with our invention description classified under the "inventions for safety" category.
Here are some articles that talk about the InvenTeam and how we are trying to change the world with our inventions :
Yahoo Finance Article East Lake Foundation Article
Here are some articles that talk about the InvenTeam and how we are trying to change the world with our inventions :
Yahoo Finance Article East Lake Foundation Article
Our First meeting with Lemelson-MIT (via zoom)
Our team met with a representative from Lemelson-MIT to discuss next steps, EurekeaFest, feedback from the judges about our final application.
Important points from the Introductory Meeting:
Important points from the Introductory Meeting:
- Divide our team into groups with leaders. This is important because we need to divide it up into manageable groups so we can work efficiently. And leaders need to be people who have excellent communication skills and are reliable.
- We do not have to use the feedback from the judges, they were just suggestions.
- Look at things with a smaller perspective (zooming in).
- Keep in contact with the any of the people in our community or who have some type of background in tech or law enforcement so eventually they can help us test the prototype
Block Diagramming
List of parts + their functions for the proposed invention
Each part or hardware has a desired function and should be achieved when we have a functioning prototype. This can serve as a checklist.
Team 2 Block Diagram
This block diagram shows how each of the inputs flows through an arduino and consequently leads to an output
Final Block Diagram
The final block diagram is a combination of all of the different group's ideas into one coherent diagram. This diagram fully explains how our devise will function in a visual way.
We divided our group into technical teams (4) to complete research and focus on a particular area of the final product. I am in the user interface team which means that our team is in charge of designing either a web app or a phone app for the final invention.
User Interface Team Research Slides
The Process:
Each team is in charge of completing research questions to draw conclusions and propel the whole invention process forward. Since I was apart of the User Interface Team, I researched the pros and cons of a web app and a phone app. Based on my research, our team can draw on a conclusion of which would be a good fit for our invention. Consequently, our research led us to develop a web app.
Each team is in charge of completing research questions to draw conclusions and propel the whole invention process forward. Since I was apart of the User Interface Team, I researched the pros and cons of a web app and a phone app. Based on my research, our team can draw on a conclusion of which would be a good fit for our invention. Consequently, our research led us to develop a web app.
Leadership Team Selection Process:
Our teacher tasked us with making pitch videos on Flipgrid to persuade our classmates to vote for our proposed leadership role. We were then assigned a symbol and voted for the best people we thought would do an amazing job as a leader in their role. I was chosen to be the financial leader and apart of the User Interface Team.
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