Three students from Sankt Augustin develop a shopping aid for people of short stature as part of the German "Jugend-forscht" competition.
"Jugend-forscht" is a German nationwide competition that promotes young talent and special achievements in mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology (MINT). To this end, more than 120 competition events are held nationwide per round at regional, state and national level, as well as accompanying activities. The young talents find sustainable solutions to make global societies life easier and to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.
The shelves are too high and the shopping cart is difficult to move. For people of small stature, every shopping trip is a challenge. Most of the time, they have to rely on the help of others.
"It's always like that. The brands I like best are always at the top," Sandra Wiese, a small person, says.
Felix Möller (14), Jonas Mauelshagen (13) and Benjamin Scholer (14) from Sankt Augustin have now developed a solution for this. Inspired by Games of Thrones, in which there is a short actor, the three students have invented a prototype made of wood. The shopping aid for people of short stature is a shopping cart that doubles as a ladder.
The three entered their invention in the regional Jugend-forscht competition and advanced directly one round to the North Rhine-Westphalian state competition. Felix, Jonas and Benjamin also contacted the self-help association for people with dwarfism. The association put them in touch with a couple with short stature, who tested their invention and worked with them to further develop the shopping aid. The dimensions were subsequently adjusted. And the material has also become lighter. Wood has been replaced by aluminum, which is light and easy to handle. A company from the German state Hesse has already expressed interest in manufacturing and selling the shopping aid.
Achieving the 2030 Agenda requires not only setting goals, but also listening to and meeting the needs of youth. By providing young people with skills, knowledge, and confidence in their abilities, global leaders have a real chance of harnessing the potential of young people to achieve the SDGs over the next 8 years. The global society has to work together to empower the next generation of youth and support long-term sustainable development.
More information: https://www.jugend-forscht.de/projektdatenbank/eine-einkaufshilfe-nicht-nur-fuer-kleinwuechsige.html