Students solve problems at Invention Convention

The idea behind Kalub Solak's invention is to make wind power available for every home.

"So you don't have to have power cords and pay a power bill," said Kalub, 9.

"You've got four sources of electricity," said retired engineer Richard Kizer as he judged Kalub's invention. "It's a nice project. What did you learn from doing it?"

"Not that much because I pretty much knew it all," said Kalub.

What third-, fourth- and fifth-graders did learn at Meneley Elementary School's Invention Convention on Thursday was how to invent something to solve a problem.

"Basically they thought of a problem in their lives or something to help their family," said Cathy Hackler, fifth-grade teacher and coordinator of the invention convention. "For rules we said you couldn't do a robot or video game. That way there's no dishwashing-robots or taking-out-the-trash robots.

"The inventions are helping pets, the elderly, teachers, parents and helping the students themselves to do jobs that are disgusting."

Hence, inventions were created for the chores of washing the dog, the floor, the windows; with names like The Dog Wash, Quick Mop and WWW 707 Window Wash and Wipe Cleaning System.

For feeding and cleaning up after pets, the students invented Never Forget to Feed Your Cat Buzzer, Automatic Fish Feeder and PoopX.

Jessica Jaramillo found that inventions didn't have to be high-tech to be successful. The judges told her that her Stair Bed was cool.

"It's just a stair under the bed to help my mom," said Jessica, 10. "Let's say you have a tall bed. My mom does and she was sick for two months. I thought of my mom and tried to solve a problem."

Chase Bertagnolli created a the Glide Board EX for people who can't afford planes but want to fly.

Chase said his invention is unique because its cushioned and bullet-proof suit allows people to fly without dying or getting hurt.

"First strap your feet in the board, press the launch button and enjoy," he said.

Many inventions were created to find lost guitar picks, socks, television remote controls or pets.

Cody Mitchell's Where's My Pet 2000 is made of a collar, microchip, cell phone, a radio and tracer.

"Many animals in the world die because they're lost from home," said Cody. "This can help almost everyone in the world, almost."

Sometimes more effort went into creating an invention than what it would take to actually do the chore it was invented to do.

Fifth-grader Daisy Cooley said she invented a alarm that would warn her the trash can was full.

"I invented the Trash Can Alarm because my dad never takes out the trash and whenever I need to throw something away, the garbage can is full," Daisy said. "Me and my mom have pushed him to do it but it never works. If I build a robot, it will make him lazy."

Ten of the projects from Meneley's Invention Convention will go to the Lemelson Young Inventors' Challenge in Reno in March.