2011 finalists & winners > 13 to 14 years > iSight: Making our Roads Safer
Nathan James
iSight: Making our Roads Safer
Merrin
13 years
Print thisDriven by the desire to help cars that get stuck behind buses, Nathan has come up with a device which allows the car driver to see past the bus and anticipate what the bus will do next.
“My parents found it really frustrating following behind large tour buses on the narrow South Island scenic highways. They couldn't anticipate what the bus was going to do as they couldn't see the road ahead. The bus completely blocked views of the road conditions ahead.
Building electronic circuits and wiring were the best parts of doing this project. It was very hands on, I loved getting immediate feedback and it was great watching it all work!
My biggest challenge was developing the software. There was such a lot to learn all at once and it was quite overwhelming.
My biggest inspiration is John Britten – it really intrigues me how he could make something extraordinary out of something ordinary. I've been a Bright Sparks member for a year. The thing I like the most about the club is that I can freely post questions knowing that I will get an answer and great support from the mentors that are involved with the club.
When I’m older I want to be a robotic engineer – designing robots to help people in everyday life. To get into this, I will probably study electronic engineering at Canterbury University.”
