Two Laois schoolchildren have won Intel Mini-Scientist 2024 competition

Hearts are filled with pride and excitement at a Laois school, after a young duo were crowned All Ireland Champions at the
Intel Mini Scientist Exhibition. 

The school has incredibly won the national Intel Mini Scientist exhibition for the third time, this time with an important medical project close to the heart of one team member in particular. 

Scoil Mhuire Fatima students Emma Burke and Tomás Ramsbottom from 5th Class have taken the title home to their proud school.

Emma and Tomás celebrating as they are announced as Intel Mini Scientist winners. 

They first won the school final in October, then the regional final in December, and this March, beat 25 other schools to win the Grand Final.

The project shows how pacemakers can be charged by using wireless technology and kinetic energy, potentially eliminating a need for a lifetime of surgeries for people with pacemakers.

The inspiration for the project came about due to the fact that Tomás has a pacemaker since he was a baby.

“Pacemaker batteries need to be changed every 7 to 10 years so if Tomás lives until he is 80, he will have to undergo another 10 major operations. He has already had 4 major operations by the age of 10” explained Emma.

Tomás is keen to make a change for the better.

“Surely in this day and age, a rechargeable battery would be better than a replacement battery.

“The aim of our project is to design a suitable way of charging pacemaker batteries so that people don’t need to undergo major surgery,” he explained.

The cousins worked hard since they won the school final last October, to develop the to All Ireland winning standard. 

They carried out impressive research and spoke with wireless technology experts in Silicone Valley to design a suitable alternative.

“Tightly coupled inductive charging and RF energy harvesting are two methods of wireless charging that we could use” according to Emma.

Tomás added that “kinetic energy is also an option for us and we really want to develop this idea”.

Some 6,800 children from across the country competed in the Intel Mini Scientist exhibition this year.

Their Principal, Michael Mc Evoy is delighted with the success.

“I’m thrilled for Tomás and Emma. This is a really difficult competition to win so we are extremely proud of them. We won the competition in 2015 and 2016 but have found it very difficult to win since then. The standard is just so high.

“The judges were blown away with the project and the children’s presentation so they deserve huge credit. We hope this success story inspires the rest of the children in the school,” he said.

The event was attended by Neil Philip, Vice President of Intel and Minister of State Thomas Byrne who praised Intel for their commitment to Irish Education.