They say necessity is the mother of invention, and for 14-year-old Alaina Gassler, that seems to be quite true! The winner of a 2019 science competition, her idea could end up being a true lifesaver for countless drivers and passengers in the coming years. One day it came to Alaina’s attention that her mom didn’t like driving their family vehicle, a Jeep Cherokee. Which is unfortunate, because moms drive a lot! The Cherokee has big blind spots around the windshield, and as any driver knows, blind spots are scary at times.
Her mother needed to be able to see everything around her clearly, and Alaina needed to feel safer than she was feeling upon hearing this news! So, she did what any bright and inventive 14-year-old whiz kid does: She invented a solution. (1)
Blind Spots: A Thing Of The Past!
Calling upon her inner Macgyver, Gassler’s prototype uses only the bare essentials of making things invisible: a webcam, projector, 3D printed adapter, and retro-reflective fabric. Et voila, the car’s blind spots all but disappear! Incredible, right? Well, the judges at a nationwide science competition thought so too and awarded her the $25,000 prize. Next up for Amazing Alaina? Conquering the world, of course! She’ll be streamlining the genius design, and then patenting it. After that, she’ll be submitting her ingenious plans to auto manufacturers. So she’ll see you later, Tesla.
Everyone Has Blind Spots
The family Jeep got a bad rap in this story, but the truth is that just about every vehicle out there has blind spots. Ironically, since they are the structure that keeps you safe in an accident, they are a necessary risk. In the case of the Cherokee, it was the A-pillars that gave Alaina’s mom trouble. These are the driver and passenger-side supports that offer protection from the windshield in the event of a crash. Part of the trouble is built right into the name… A-pillar… which gets fatter toward the bottom. So, the shorter you sit in the seat, the worse that blind spot will be.
We’re all built differently, and so are our vehicles.
The A-pillars might be no trouble for a different person. Instead, perhaps the supports for the rear window are the troublemakers. The genius thing about Ms. Gassler’s invention is that it levels the playing field for everyone, regardless of their size or the type of vehicle they are driving.
Yes, necessity is the mother of invention, and one thing we definitely need is safe vehicles. The blind spots themselves are the structure of the vehicle, meant to support and protect us in the event of a crash, but they are often the thing that causes the crash. Thanks to Alaina, we now have the means to make them effectively invisible. Perhaps in the future our cars will have even more structure than they do now since blind spots won’t be an issue.
There will be more blind spots, thereby giving stronger protection, but ultimately made totally invisible by this ingenious invention.
The best of both worlds! Complete safety and protection, with a clear view of everything that’s coming at you. Now we just need a tool like this for navigating life!
