Published in the April 1-14, 2015 issue of Morgan Hill Life
By Michael Page, Owen Hussey, Vernon Bussler
Photo by Marty Cheek
Consider an accidental hybrid between Darth Vader and a propane tank. This year we built a visual simulation helmet that teaches people how to have empathy for others who have visual and auditory disabilities. We entered a video of our invention into the national K12 What’s Your Story STEM contest. We won the 11th grade level nationwide.
Our project involved combining a welding mask with a motorcycle helmet and adding a webcam on the outside and a rear-view car digital display inside as well as two speakers. This was connected to a laptop computer with software that enabled us to change the video feed to the display so that a person wearing the device perceives the world in a way that someone with visual or auditory handicap would see it.
We worked as a team, and going through the process of making our project helped strengthen our friendship. It also taught us problem-solving skills while working together. It’s satisfying to have an idea in your mind come to reality. Even though it was often frustrating to go through the obstacles, we had a lot of fun solving the problems and making the helmet work.
Encouraging young people to develop an interest in science and technology is important because it helps open the door to possible career opportunities as well as teaches them how to critically think to solve problems. Solutions come from understanding and processing data and information we collect and by being creative and innovative. Our Silicon Valley home is a unique place because there are technology-savvy people here who are progressive and diverse in their thinking. They all have a common goal of pushing themselves to be innovative and solving problems to make people’s lives better.
Michael Page, Owen Hussey, and Vernon Bussler are students at Silicon Valley Flex Academy. After a junior journalism workshop, Morgan Hill Life publisher Marty Cheek worked with them to write this column.
