Daily Local News (West Chester, PA)
Young hacker wins big award
Hacker by definition is a person who has a high level of skill in computer technology or programming and is a computer expert or enthusiast.
West Chester University junior Brandon Barker is certainly a hacker.
Barker was recognized by Major League Hacking as one of the “Top 50 Hackers” on college campuses, worldwide.
Hacking is all about inventing and Barker has several hacks to his credit, including his piece de resistance, which he designed when his grandfather went blind.
Barker invented Elderlyf, an “intelligent” walker that allows the user to navigate their environment safely. The walker slows for turns and it turns without bumping into obstacles.
“I want to build things that make people’s lives better,” Barker said during an interview at his Downingtown home. “I find that the more impactful it is, the more joy I get out of it.
“I do it for the challenge. It’s exciting to solve a problem and come up with something few people have ever attempted.”
Barker enjoys hitting the outdoors, while mountain biking and hiking. And he doesn’t mind being called a nerd.
“A nerd means something different today,” he said with a smile, just visible through his corona mask. “A nerd is someone who is interested and engaged in learning.
“It doesn’t have the connotation of being lame or weird like it did years ago. If nerd means being super-engaged and teaching myself things, then I’m happy to embrace it.”
Most of Barker’s hacks are health-related. Both his parents are in the health field and his mother, Nancy Barker, is a WCU assistant professor of nursing.
He invented an app for the visually impaired that describes a room to a cellphone user and another app that can generate a highly accurate eye exam on a cellphone.
Barker tinkered with Legos when young and during the sixth grade worked with robotics. In grade school he designed a miniature Segway and a Rubik’s Cube solver.
He also built a foot tall mind-controlled wheel chair. Electrodes on a head set controlled by the brain run the wheel chair.
The Computer Science and Business Management major with a 3.98 GPA also invented a prosthetic arm in eighth grade that responds to electric signals from the brain.
“The euphoria and excitement comes from working toward a problem and to get it to do what you want it to do,” he said.
The list of the top 50, from Major League Hacking, is reserved for college-age computer coders who inspired the organization with their creativity and innovation. The organization hosts invention marathons for young tech wizards and budding inventors.
Barker is active in the WCU Computer Science Club and created Hack WCU, one of Major League Hacking’s coding marathons.
“I was shocked to see some other people on the list and what they had accomplished,” he said. “It was an honor to be on that list with so many impressive people.”
Barker purchased a
1999 Honda Accord with 150,000 miles on it and is learning how to repair it. So far, he has changed the oil, replaced the brakes, fiddled with the power steering components, and worked on the suspension and a ball joints.
Fixing cars is a little like inventing.
“Repairing cars provides you with the power of knowledge,” he said. “It’s like solving the unknown.”
During an internship in San Francisco, he worked on self-driving cars.
He said that fully autonomous vehicles will not be available to the consumer within the next five years.
Barker is attending school virtually. During spring break in March, the campus was closed to all but remote learning.
“Most teachers teach all their lessons in person and to teach online is challenging, but for the most part there was a lot of effort to make the best of the situation,” he said. “West Chester University responded early and was most prepared to go online.”
And a WCU education is a bargain.
“Given the cost of education, it’s a school providing value,” he said. “With the prices of colleges, WCU offers fantastic value.”
Barker is certainly an inspiration.
He has been busy. I can’t wait to see what he comes up with next.