Aansh Patel: Inventor

Every Mass Academy student has a specific focus, an extension to the personal narrative they maneuvered to get where they are today. For many of our students, their focus is math, engineering, and academic success. For others, it is entrepreneurship and independence. For Aansh Patel, his focus is one of freedom, activity, and exploration. 

Even during his sophomore year at Grafton, Aansh refused to allow his passion for engineering overwhelm his personal interests, merging his love of art into his guiding mantra “build something”. Whether it is a sound machine, a poem, a skill, or even a go-kart, Aansh spends his time developing unique and skillful constructs that embody the spirit of a true inventor: free and ingenious.

Often, his designs are based on a whim. For his SISP (Senior Independent Study Project) Aansh describes building his own go-kart. “I’m building a go-kart. The reason is because I didn't already have a go-kart prior to this. I’ve gotten really into cars, around the time from February to March, when I started driving my car”. Aansh enjoys the building process alongside the promise of a finished product, employing creative means to accomplish his goal. For example, for his go-kart, Aansh took the motors from a treadmill and hooked them up to his “questionable” frame. When asked if it would drive too slow, Aansh defends his decision with Newton’s laws. “No, because the go cart does not weigh a lot,” further describing how “5m/s^2” is a “lot of acceleration”.

In terms of commitment, Aansh is reasonably confident in his abilities and doesn’t allow the stress of a due date to pressure his schedule. His interests will swing from time to time, but he knows how to get his job done. Despite his growing love and passion for his go-kart, Aansh took his time starting the project, describing how “I lowkey forgot about my SISP. I lowkey started it during December Break”. This did not stop him from properly evaluating the quality and background of his project. In fact, Aansh took the time to research many components of vehicles beyond his DIY go-kart, sometimes even in vain. For example, Aansh recalls how “I spent a lot of time looking at how engines will work, but it turns out I'm not using engines on this project, which is lowkey tragic”. 

These setbacks don’t discourage Aansh, but motivate him to evaluate his work further. Aansh quickly follows up, reaffirming his interest and enjoyment in the project. “Otherwise, it's fun, and I'm doing it with my friends. It doesn't matter how much you mess up, it's going to make a good story in the end”. More than a technical project, like all of his work, Aansh’s go-kart is the child of his passions–something complex, unique, and enjoyable to pursue. Whether he lives on to pursue F1 racecar engineering or pure rocket science, Aansh’s treadmill-powered go-cart sets the precedent for an inventor’s legacy every MAMS inventor should strive to achieve.