LYNDEN - A group of Lynden High School students may be the next great inventors, thanks to a grant from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
The team of eight students recently received about $10,000 to help them build a recumbent tricycle for people with disabilities, as part of an initiative to support student inventors. Across the country, 16 teams were awarded grants, with the Lynden team the only one in Washington state.
"It's incredible," said sophomore Bryce VanderYacht, one of the members. "For our group, it gives us the opportunity to invent something and get our name out there."
The grant is from the Lemelson-MIT InvenTeam program, which helps students pursue inventions and career goals related to science, technology, engineering and math.
Each year, the program gives money to a handful of teams across the country to create and complete a yearlong invention project that address a real-world problem or challenge. Teams had to submit their project ideas, with the winning ones selected by a panel of MIT and Harvard University professors, industry representatives and former grant winners.
The Lynden team is building a three-wheeled recumbent bike that doesn't require the use of hands. To steer the trike, the rider just needs to lean right or left, making it similar to how a skateboard is steered. When the riding speed is too slow or the trike is stopped, the leaning-aspect becomes disabled, keeping the trike stable for the rider to get on and off.
As the rider's ability and strength increases, settings on the tricycle can be adjusted to allow for more leaning.
Other projects around the country include a portable medical support system, mechanical assist chair climber, air pollution absorbing paint, and a gray-water electricity generator.
As part of the program, the 16 student teams will showcase their prototype inventions in June at MIT. Based on their results, some teams may be given $2,000 more to continue their projects.
The Lynden students are working on the project after school, with the assistance of Dave Weidkamp, design engineering teacher at the high school, and Jed Birch, engineer at Janicki Industries. The students will also get support from NorWest Hydraulic & Pneumatic Inc. and Pro-CNC.
The Lemelson-MIT program was created in 1994 by inventor Jerome H. Lemelson and his wife, with the goal of inspiring and celebrating inventors.
This story was corrected Monday, Nov. 7. The name of NorWest Hydraulic & Pneumatic Inc. was incorrect.
