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At White House Science Fair, Pres. Obama Praises Chester County Teen

By John Ostapkovich

WASHINGTON, D.C. (CBS) -- A 14-year-old Chester County, Pa. boy was recognized by President Obama today at the White House science fair.

President Obama says he's very impressed with the high-tech work from young people like Benjamin Hylak of West Grove, Pa.

"Benjamin Hylak, where's Benjamin?  There's Benjamin right here.  He was worried that folks at his grandmother's senior center were getting lonely, so he built a robot with a monitor and a video camera, so it's like a moving Skype, and it moves around the center and it allows seniors to talk to their kids and grandkids even when they can't visit in person."

Hylak, a freshman at Salesianum High School in Wilmington, has already been awarded $10,000 for his invention, called a "telepresence robot."

Another winner created a sugar packet whose wrapper dissolves in water, something with immediate commercial applications.

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