PREVIOUS PHOTO
At ISEF 2019, Russian
high school student
Inna Larina peers
through a viewing
device she designed
with teammate
Nataliya Ivlieva. The
wireless apparatus is
equipped with sensors
that map the distance
to an obstacle, such
as a sidewalk curb,
allowing blind and
visually impaired
people to navigate
unfamiliar terrain.TOP
High school students
from 80 countries,
regions, and territories
competed in ISEF 2019
in Phoenix, Arizona.
Ramita Chueamuang-
phan (at left),
Natthamon Sriprom
(middle), and Phan-
anong Chuenchokchai
(at right) traveled from
Thailand to take part
in the plant sciences
category. The class-
mates, from Chiang
Rai Province, created
a hydrogel that helps
protect crops from
invasive snails without
harming nearby plants
and animals.BOTTOM
Amanda Shayna Ahteck
of Holmdel, New Jersey,
found scientific inspi-
ration while crocheting
under her desk during
physics class. She cro-
cheted stainless steel
conductive thread in a
chain of hooked loops
to create soft, stretch-
able sensors that mimic
tendons in the hand.
Ahteck hopes her wear-
able Bluetooth device
will promote a more
seamless adoption of
technologies like virtual
reality and help visually
or physically impaired
users interact more nat-
urally with computers.GIRLS IN SCIENCE 121