A flash of inspiration is what gave 15-year-old Ella Yardley an idea that was so clever it would win her a trip to the Questacon Invention Convention.
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The aspiring Griffith inventor won the all-expenses-paid trip for her idea for a new Vagus Nerve Stimulation brain implant that would warn epileptics of upcoming seizures.
Like most world-changing innovations, the idea came as a bolt from the blue for Ella.
“I have no idea how I came up with the idea; I’m usually not a very creative person,” she said.
The modest teenager will be jetting over to the convention in Canberra, where she will rub shoulders with some of the most ingenious inventors and enterprising entrepreneurs.
She was one of 24 aspiring inventors who beat out the competition and were chosen to take part in the event, which was designed to encourage more young people into STEM fields.
On Monday the five day convention will kick off with a series of inspiring speeches from successful inventors to get the creative juices flowing.
Then Ella will team up with a team of experts to work on a prototype for an invention that will make the world a better place, in line with this year’s theme of “liveable communitites”.
On Friday she will put the finishing touches to her prototype before showcasing her invention at the Ian Potter Foundation Technology Learning Centre.
The convention is part of the $14.5 million Questacon Smart SkillsInitiative, funded by the Australian Government in partnership with The Ian Potter Foundation.
When Ella comes back to Griffith she will continue working towards her dream of working in the medical field, either as a doctor or as a medical scientist.
Her proud mum Kelly Yardley is confident her daughter can achieve whatever she sets her mind to.
“She’s a bright kid, but she also makes a lot of effort,” Kelly said.
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