Ingenious inventions by two teams of Boys Town Jerusalem ninth graders have been named among the top projects in the 2024 Jerusalem Scientific Research Fair, sponsored by the Israeli Ministry of Education and the Jerusalem Municipality.
The teams set out to solve a problem
Under the guidance of BTJ instructor Yosef Katzav and laboratory assistant Meir Ben David, the 9th grade Science class divided into teams to tackle the challenge of determining a problem – and inventing a solution to improve our lives. The students’ journey to research, explore, build and operate their inventions transformed the assignment to a powerful adventure.
The first project is a self-sustaining charger
The winning BTJ projects, generously funded by our supporters, included an innovative small-sized generator attached to the wheel of a shopping cart which captures the electricity generated by the moving wheel. The device’s USB port enables shoppers to simultaneously charge their cellphones from the energy produced as the cart moves down the shopping aisles.
The second device is a smart shower
The second project, a “Smart Shower,” is a safety device to prevent young children from turning on scalding water in the bathtub. Once the maximum water temperature is set, the device connects to the hot water heater, using sensors to monitor and maintain a constant temperature in the faucet. Should the water temperature suddenly spike, the device immediately cuts off the electricity.
The projects required research, teamwork, and ingenuity
Ninth-grader Shachar Ohana, one of the five-man team that developed the Smart Shower device, notes that the project involved research, teamwork, and ingenuity. “I taught myself the Arduino computer programming language especially for the project.” Beyond, Shachar also tackled the task of presenting the project to Ministry of Education officials. “It sounded so easy before I began learning how to explain and answer questions,” he admits. Today, the enthusiastic young scientist and many classmates are setting their sights on a hi-tech career in electronics and computers.