Getting medicines to some parts of the world can be challenging. For example, vaccines, which protect the body from diseases, must be kept cool to stay effective.
Usually vaccines are shipped on ice or in electric refrigerators. In areas where those aren’t available, many vaccines are ineffective by the time they reach clinics. That’s why 16-year-old Anurudh Ganesan, of Clarksburg, Maryland, invented the Vaxxwagon—a portable cooling system that generates its own power.
The Vaxxwagon is a two-wheeled device that can be pulled by a bicycle, a vehicle, or an animal. Its turning wheels can power a small refrigeration system for about 10 hours.
This April, Anurudh attended the White House Science Fair to demonstrate the Vaxxwagon for President Barack Obama. He hopes to start selling his invention to relief organizations by the end of the year so it can be used in the field.
“In my mind,” Anurudh says, “the Vaxxwagon will be a success as soon as it saves a life.”