High school whiz kid makes impression at NYC tech fair

Who says Americans don't make anything anymore?

They couldn't be talking about the young prodigy we found showing off his latest innovations.

Joey Hudy is showing off his latest gadget to kids young and old. As Intel's youngest intern, the 17-year-old from suburban Phoenix now travels the globe.

"Right now I am working on a 3-D full body scanner," he said. "Might be for gamers. It would be a lot easier for them if they could scan something.

"My goal for it is that you can walk up, get scanned and it e-mails you the scan."

Business Insider magazine named him "one of the world's 10 smartest kids." On Saturday he was at the Maker Faire in New York - among the most popular conventions for technology innovators.

Hudy grabbed the spotlight in 2012 when he caught the attention of the President during the White House Science Fair - with a one-of-a-kind high tech marshmallow gun.

"It speaks for itself how proud you are when you are showing off something you built to the President," said Hudy.

"He is a great ambassador for young people who aren't necessarily thinking about becoming engineers," said Jay Melican, Hudy's boss. "Now they can see that the tools are easy enough for them and they can create really cool things."

Hudy is balancing high school, homework and applying to college while already getting paid by Intel - to help develop the booths at gatherings like Maker Fair to get budding techies, most older than him, in the tent.

"I just love inspiring others to make things," he said. "It's fantastic to see their eyes light up, 'oh, I can do this too.' The best part is months later seeing they've done it, too."