Mass. Student Scientists, Cute Pup Showcase Projects At The White House
WASHINGTON, D.C. (CBS) -- 3D-printed wheelchair accessories and software analyzing gene mutations sound like innovations created deep in an MIT science lab. But these projects are actually the work of three Massachusetts high school students who presented their inventions at the White House on Monday.
The fifth annual White House Science Fair hosted more than 100 students nationwide. Among them were NuVu experimental high school students Mohammed Sayed and Kaitlin Reed, of Cambridge and Dover, respectively.
Sayed and Reed, both 16, used a 3D printer to build a lever-powered attachment that can propel Sayed's wheelchair both forwards and backwards. The two also built a 3D-printed universal arm for the wheelchair that can serve as a food tray, camera tripod, rain canopy, laptop holder, and cup holder.
Nathan Han, 16, of Boston, showcased an already award-winning software he developed to study mutations of a gene linked to breast cancer. Han used public data to create a software that can differentiate between mutations that cause disease and those that do not.
18-month-old Derby the Dog was also on hand (or foot) to show off his 3D-printed new limbs. Derby is a disabled foster dog who was born with deformed legs. The pup's owner, Tara Anderson, works at a Massachusetts-based company focused on 3D printing. Anderson designed and printed custom-made prosthetics for Derby.
President Barack Obama toured the science fair late Monday morning.