When 12-year-old Rebecca Young from Glasgow saw homeless people sleeping rough on the streets near her home, she couldn’t stop thinking about how cold they must be. The Scottish student was participating in the Primary Engineer MacRobert Medal competition, which asks UK students to think like engineers and solve real problems. Rebecca knew exactly what she wanted to tackle.
Her award-winning invention is a solar-powered heated blanket that’s built right into a backpack, making it perfect for people who need to carry their belongings with them. The ingenious design is powered entirely by the sun, so it doesn’t need electricity or batteries to keep someone warm through the night. Rebecca’s creation has already earned recognition from engineers and could soon be helping vulnerable people stay safe in harsh weather. Her teacher says the young inventor’s compassion and creativity have inspired classmates to think about how they can help their own communities.
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