Rohan MathawanThese days tech is all the rage, with technology touching every aspect of our lives – from personal relationships, to managing finances, food delivery and more. It seems there is nothing which cannot be disrupted or vastly improved by throwing technology into the mix.
Amidst the hype around tech companies founded by the youth, we looked a bit deeper to see how the younger generation is thinking about and harnessing technology.
What we found was an impressive understanding of technology, a certain simplicity which only young kids can have and unfettered creativity. So here is a list of 5 tech ideas by teens which we believe are worth implementing!
#1 Shield Pulse: The guardian for guards
Ever seen security guards falling asleep, leaving the housing society or shops they are guarding vulnerable to theft?
Meet ShieldPlus – a guardian for our guardians. When we fall asleep, our heart rate dips by 50%. ShieldPlus proposes using a simple pulse rate monitor in a wristband to monitor the security guard’s heart rate. If it dips below a certain pulse, the owners can be notified and the guard be gently buzzed awake.
Innovator Teen: Priya A, Mahindra International School, Pune
#2 DADS: A Solution for Drunk Driving
Drunk driving is a menace across the world. DADS, short for Device Against Drunk Driving (and also aptly named as dads are our guardian angel) is a simple breathalyser fitted onto the seatbelt of the driver. If the blood alcohol level is above permissible limits, its prevents the engine from starting up.
An innovative use of an existing technology to tackle one of the most worrying menaces of our world.
Innovator Teen: Adamya, DPS International, NCR
#3: Delmet
Six two-wheeler riders die every hour in road accidents in India and helmet-less driving constitutes a major contributor to driver and pillion rider deaths. Hence, in spite of being a mandated need, most riders choose the comfort of non-helmet driving to personal safety, while others wear poor quality helmets!
These two students were alarmed at the extent of the problem and resistance by bikers to wear helmets. They set about understanding why bikers choose to not wear this life-saving equipment. From their research, they realized it’s because helmets are uncomfortable, with little air flow. They set out to design Delmet, a new type of helmet which has air flow, an air-cushion which triggers on impact and a GPS spotter which alerts emergency services of the accident.
Innovator Teens: Arham, Fountainhead School Surat and Krishna
4. SkillNirbharBharat
The most common topic of conversation amongst homemakers is the difficulty of finding domestic help. Equally, there are plenty of people looking for job opportunities in the blue collar work segment. The challenge is that they don’t know about each other.
To further the mission of making India ‘aatmanirbhar’, this teenager has come up with the idea for a platform which can play match-maker between the supply and demand side. It’s like an Uber for blue collar workers. A simple, elegant and much-needed solution for India!
Innovator Teen: Devesh, DPS, Indiranagar, Lucknow
#5: Me_TELLIC
Every pet-owning family knows that a pet is a loved one, just like a family member. These two teenagers, living in Bombay and Gurgaon, immediately connected over their passion for dogs. However, they also realized they had both recently had a very stressful experience because their pet dog had swallowed a coin.
Not wanting to see other pet owner families go through the same harrowing experience, they set about to try and a find a solution. Thus, Me_TELLIC was born. The idea is still in its research and feasibility study phase; however it’s gotten fantastic feedback from pet families. The idea is simple -a dog collar with a magnet in it. If the dog is about to eat something metallic, the collar beeps and alerts the owner.
Innovator Teens: Paridhi, Aditya Birla World Academy, Mumbai and Rianna, The Shri Ram School, Aravali
The above just goes to show how much creativity, energy and innovation the younger generation is harbouring. Whilst adults are debating the problems around them, these teenagers are putting their mind to finding solutions to these problems. Imagine what we could achieve if every teenager had the guidance and mentorship to be able to unlock their potential in this way!
All of the above students have been given structured training in entrepreneurship and tech innovation with Clever Harvey’s JuniorMBA. Some of them have gone on to present their ideas in business pitch competitions and have won cash prizes to take their ideas forward. The JuniorMBA program is open to students aged 13 – 18; helping teenagers discover their interests and career fields through first-hand experiences. You can learn more at – Clever Harvey Junior MBA