This might be the best story you’ll read all week.
Young kids can get a lot of flak sometimes. “You’re too lazy,” some say. “You’re too entitled”. “Why were your friends eating Tide pods?” (okay that one’s legit, no one knows what happened there).
The truth is that there’s some amazing talent in the coming generations. Like this incredible story of a teenager literally changing the world for the better.
While the rest of the world’s youth were busy watching Looney Tunes, Kenneth Shinozuka created his first invention when he was SIX! He then created his first startup when he was still a teenager. While the average teen had moved on from Looney Tunes to MTV, Kenneth was revolutionizing care options for Alzheimer’s patients.
16-Year Old Inventor Kenneth Shinozuka
He created the startup to sell his genius invention: the SafeWander® Sock Sensor, a innovative device with the mission to help save lives.
As a 16-year-old, Kenneth was sometimes responsible for making sure his grandfather didn’t get up and leave the house when he should be sleeping in bed. Like 65% of people with Alzheimer’s, Kenneth’s grandfather was prone to sometimes wander off without telling anyone. Sure enough one day, Kenneth saw his grandfather wake up, swing his feet over the bed, and start to stand up.
That’s when Kenneth got a flash of inspiration. He could add a pressure sensor to his grandfather’s sock so that, when it hit the ground, it would send an alert to his family’s smartphones via an app. So Kenneth created the sensor and the app, all from scratch.
He even created another version of the sensor for people who didn’t like wearing socks to sleep! When attached to a shirt, it can detect changes in angle that might indicate the wearer is sitting up when they should be lying down.
How cool is that? Kenneth’s dedication to helping others through innovation and hard work is truly inspiring. Thanks to his efforts, families all over the world can rest easier knowing that their beloved relatives are safe and sound.
Check out this video to learn more about his amazing invention:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXsVXGrjboA