California students invented a cooling device for firefighters and farmworkers

Students at a California high school developed a cooling device designed to help firefighters and agricultural workers cope with hot working conditions. The students filed a patent application for their invention and went on to present it beyond the classroom, including at the California State Capitol.The team from Calistoga Junior/Senior High School began the project in 2023 through InvenTeams, an initiative run by the Lemelson-MIT Program. Over the following year, the students studied the problem, spoke with the people their invention was intended to help, and built a prototype cooling system.According to MIT News, the students filed a patent application and then presented the invention at EurekaFest. The programme's final event was held at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).How a school project led to a cooling device for firefighters and farmworkersThe Calistoga team spent 12 months working on the device, from understanding the problem to building a working prototype. Their project focused on people who face heat while working in hot conditions, including firefighters and agricultural workers.The students first explored the challenges faced by workers before develo...