At least one seat must be allocated for women after the end of term of the current boards
uae15 hours ago
"I thought I'd try help the world. That's what I did, and that's what I'm doing," says Adeeb Al Balooshi, widely known around the country as the UAE's youngest, and perhaps most prolific, inventor.
Despite being barely 13 years old, Adeeb has numerous inventions under his belt, ranging from a heart-monitor connected seatbelt that can wirelessly beam health alerts to first responders, to a camera-equipped firefighting helmet for use in emergencies.
Word of his inventions have spread far and wide. He now boasts of over 30,000 followers on Instagram, and has been honoured at numerous events throughout the UAE and the world. He's even met with His Highness Shaikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and Prime Minister of the UAE and Ruler of Dubai.
Adeeb's journey of innovation began, he says, with a desire to help his father.
"My dad loves swimming. He's a victim of polio. His right leg didn't grow as much as his other limbs, and he needed support to walk, with a medical apparatus," Adeeb told Khaleej Times. "But we were at the beach one day, and he loves it and always gets in first."
"I was waiting and he didn't come, and then I realised it was because he was taking off his medical apparatus, which is like a really big sock but much thicker, with metal rods and some leather," he added. "So I decided I wanted to make one that's all-terrain, and waterproof."
Adeeb's final prototype, he says, "was much better".
"I made it graphene, which is the strongest material on earth, but incredibly light," he noted. "I gave it hydraulics. There is also no strap. That was never available before."
Adeeb says he has a difficult time choosing his favourite inventions.
All for his mother
"I'm the worst at choosing between things. Just ask my parents," he said. "But the ones I hold most dearly to my heart is the invention for my dad, and one I made for my mother."
For his mother, Adeeb built a cleaning robot.
"It's not exactly a genius invention, but my mother never had free time. She was always cleaning and looking after us," Adeeb said. "I thought I needed to do something."
Using a toy car, some plastic, a battery container and a small broom, Adeeb produced the robot.
"When I added a vibrating motor to a small broom, it would vibrate the room and make it clean," he said. "It would basically move and shake randomly, but you didn't have to focus or control it. The thing is, it wouldn't clean the sides of the couch, so I decided to use the feathers from a fluffy bird pen.
"She later realised that it had cleaned the couch in two minutes," Adeeb added. "She hugged me."
Adeeb - who is unusually motivated and modest for a youngster - says he believes that innovation exist to help people and his country.
"If God gives you talent, you use it in the best you can to help. But don't show off," he said. "Innovation isn't saying you built something, or doing something sophisticated. Innovation isn't creating, either. That's inventing. Innovation is a way of thinking to make your country better."
"Why think outside the box? Just remove the box. That's the correct way of thinking about innovation. Thinking of ways to help people."
bernd@khaleejtimes.com
Innovation week
Innovation week
At least one seat must be allocated for women after the end of term of the current boards
uae15 hours ago
The cops have been settling cases amicably under the 'Al Salah Khair' initiative for 14 years now
uae16 hours ago
Today, Dubai has the highest concentration of private wealth in the Middle East, as it continues to offer a thriving and safe economic climate, says expert
uae18 hours ago
Dubai's Ruler and Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Presidential Affairs also offered similar condolences
uae1 day ago
Officials noted that in today’s tech-driven world, technology is emerging as the new axis of power, with nations racing to secure their influence
uae1 day ago
The two-week campaign will see the company’s fertility bus make its way around locations in Dubai and Abu Dhabi
uae1 day ago
The emirate will announce a unified strategy that will link all stages of a drop of water, starting from production and delivery to consumption
uae1 day ago
It includes lectures, dialogue and workshops featuring a select group of qualified speakers and educational specialists
uae1 day ago