Congratulations to all the winners of the 2020 ideas4ears children’s invention contest.
COVID-19 Update: We wanted to update our followers on the plans for the 2020 ideas4ears winners’ trip which was postponed due to COVID-19. The health and safety of our international guests is of the highest priority; therefore, we unfortunately will not be having a winner’s event in 2021 for the 2020 ideas4ears winners.
Since we could not provide a new date for the winner’s trip, we offered all the 2020 ideas4ears families the choice to receive a prize package now (rather than waiting for a longer period of time), instead of the trip to Innsbruck. Some families took us up on this offer and you can see their prize ceremonies on this page below!
Even though our 2020 inventors won’t be able to meet each other in person as a winner’s group, we will still feature all their inventions here so we can celebrate the 2020 winners virtually. We thank the families for their patience and understanding during these challenging times and we welcome them all into the ideas4ears family.
Overall 215 children from 28 different countries participated and sent in 171 ideas. From these entries the top 12 invention ideas were chosen. Last year, we again received simply phenomenal inventions and are thrilled by the many great submissions! Even though the trip to Innsbruck was unfortunately not possible due to COVID-19, we would like to sincerely thank all participants!
Geoffrey Ball, Head Judge of the ideas4ears jury, has a very special message for our 2020 winners whose trip to Austria was postponed due to COVID-19, listen to his encouraging words here.
Now let’s get to know all our young inventors and their ideas…
🇩🇪 Anuk Gohlke, 11 years old from Geesthacht, Germany
Anuk from Germany is a bilateral cochlear implant user who loves to swim. Thanks to WaterWear she can now hear while swimming. Naturally, her Ideas4ears invention looks at optimising WaterWear.
🇧🇾 Aliona and Aryna Vlasenka, 8 and 11 years old from Hrodna, Belarus (joint entry)
The sisters came up with their invention idea together to create a super audio processor of the future!
🇳🇿 Dylan Monaghan, 10 years old from Rolleston, New Zealand
Dylan is an active boy who loves cricket and football. Therefore, he invented a cochlear implant that gets charged when you move. The more you move and the faster you move the more power is generated.
🇿🇦 Eden Birdsey, 7 years old from KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa
Eden is one of three sisters, “all late identified in South Africa (where there is no newborn hearing screening). They have a progressive hearing loss and were implanted sequentially between the ages of 5 and 6 years. They have made wonderful progress with their implants, love explaining them to others, love meeting new people and exploring their world through their eyes and 'new ears'," said Eden’s mum.
🇮🇹 Federico Malagnino, 10 years old from Florence, Italy
Federico, winner from Florence, Italy is an enthusiastic skier. When he is not on the ski slopes with his family, he loves to play videogames with his friends. That’s why he invented a special pair of headphones for kids with cochlear implants who use the RONDO audio processors.
🇬🇧 Freya Chipperfield, 9 years old from Sale, United Kingdom
"No More Lost Ears" is a home tracker invented by Freya for CI processors and works like a remote control that you can press a button to see where your CIs are.
🇺🇸 Kenzi Cayton, 8 years old from Vancouver, USA
Kenzi from the USA has invented cochlear implant processors that can change their appearance at any time at the touch of a button using an app – so colours and patterns of any kind can be selected… That would be fantastic, wouldn't it?
🇧🇬 Gergana Petrova Angelova, 9 years old from Ruse, Bulgaria
Good morning! Wake up! Gergana from Bulgaria ideas4ears 2020 winner invented a special wake up alarm clock invention idea. The creative and practical invention convinced our jury last year and won… But see for yourself!
🇨🇴 Julián Gómez, 12 years old from Medellín, Colombia
Julián, ideas4ears 2020 winner from Colombia was concerned for cochlear implant users being left without sound in the case of emergencies or catastrophes such as an earthquake. “What inspired me was that you have to be aware of people with hearing impairment,” said the caring youngster.
🇨🇭 Noël Grolimud, 11 years old from Grenchen, Switzerland
Noël from Switzerland was our 2020 ideas4ears winner with the invention idea for a solar powered charging box for his cochlear implants. Since he loves to swim, this would be a real relief for him to be able to charge his batteries easily while out and about.
🇦🇷 Renata Bravo Staiti, 9 years old from Godoy Cruz, Argentina
Renata used her creativity to invent a headband which cochlear implant users can wear while still being able to listen and look stylish at the same time.
🇮🇳 Tejasveer Sharma, 7 years old from Noida, India
The young inventor created an auto-correct function to help support people with their word pronunciation. “My idea is for children who either do not get a good opportunity to undergo proper rehabilitation post cochlear implantation or for children whose parents are less educated to be able to give proper home sessions or for those who wish to keep improving on speech clarity at all times,” he said.
2020 prize ceremonies
See some of the families who decided to take the prize package now, rather than waiting for a trip to Innsbruck to go ahead. Many thanks for the families for sharing these happy photos with us and we hope you make the most of your new electronic devices to support your homeschooling.
Innovation – the basis for hearing implant progress
Innovation is essential when exploring ways to improve the lives of those with hearing loss and the ideas4ears competition has raised awareness of the benefits of hearing technology.
Whilst celebrating children’s creativity, ideas4ears aimed to engage parents to participate in an interactive activity with their children to improve the whole family’s understanding of the challenges associated with hearing loss and deafness as well as the benefits of treatment.
If you are worried about the hearing loss of a family member or for your own hearing loss, contact ideas4ears@medel.com to receive a free information package on hearing and the solutions available.
It starts again!
ideas4ears 2021 is in planning mode! Further information on the next inventor competition for children can be found on this website from November 9, 2021. Are you interested in participating? Then send us a message to get involved via ideas4ears@medel.com
All the latest news and developments about ideas4ears can be found on the Facebook page. Make sure you follow us here www.facebook.com/ideas4ears to be kept up to date and become a part of the ideas4ears community!
