Young scientist wins silver medal
Port Rex pupil’s smart water system impresses judges in Beijing
Last week Tuesday, Kiyara Swartbooi returned home from a successful stint at the Beijing Youth Science Creative Competition (BYSCC), where her invention earned her a silver medal.
The Port Rex Technical High School pupil becomes the only Buffalo City scientist to have earned a medal at this competition and only the fourth SA pupil to do so in 2024.
The competition lasted from March 28-April 1 with more than 40 pupils from around the world competing with their inventions in the categories of medical and health services, zoology, mathematics and computer sciences.
Swartbooi’s project, Thermal Faucet: A Smart Water Management System represents a significant advancement in smart home technology.
It integrates energy and water conservation to create an intelligent, intuitive, efficient, and cost-effective solution to using water for visually impaired people.
The project includes a flowmeter and pulse meter to measure the flow rate and number of litres, a start and stop button, a thermostatic mixer coupled to a 24V DC motor, while a pointer switches from hot and cold inlets automatically to adjust the water temperature accordingly.
It also includes two LEDs, one indicating when the bathwater is filling in the bathtub and another to indicate once it’s full, and a buzzer which serves as the alert system together with the LED showing when the bathtub is full and has reached a set water level. Swartbooi is also incorporating a user-friendly app.
Her project has so far earned her national recognition with a silver medal at the Eskom Expo for Young Scientists last year.
Her project has also garnered public appeal with organisations and schools who believe a thermal faucet system would improve the lives of disabled pupils and vulnerable people in under resourced communities.
Her BYSCC silver medal has propelled her invention onto the global stage where judges at the competition heralded it as a novel approach to conservation that gives independence and autonomy to those who need it.
With Swartbooi included, SA earned two gold medals and two silver medals at the competition, despite being up against fierce competition from young scientists from Italy, Russia, Thailand, the Czech Republic, Indonesia and Hong Kong.
Swartbooi said: “It was a thrilling and rewarding experience because I had never been abroad and representing my region and country was an honour.
“It means so much to have been awarded a medal as I never expected to receive it.
“I’ve discovered a world of not only science, but also how broad one’s creative capacity can become, especially at this age.
“I met many people from all over the world and hearing about how much they want to solve the issues in the world was inspiring.”
On April 2, the Eastern Cape department of education hosted a welcoming ceremony for Swartbooi and her family at King Phalo airport to honour her hard work and to celebrate strides the Eastern Cape is making towards improving interest and performance in STEM subjects in the province.
Spokesperson for the department, Mali Mtima said: “As a province and the country, we are very pleased with this achievement at an international level.
“Kiyara’s achievement is especially significant for the Eastern Cape education system to celebrate; as she is a girl pupil who has managed to break the barrier of gender bias when it comes to participation of girls in mathematics, science and technology subjects.”
Swartbooi’s mother, Christel Fray, said the family was grateful to each community member and business that contributed towards covering the costs for Swartbooi’s participation in the competition, especially to the EC department of education for their support.
She said: “We, as a family and community, are extremely proud of Kiyara’s achievement.
“We are thankful that as a community we could come together support of a child’s dream.
“It was never about our hard work it was us working together to show Kiyara just how much we appreciate her hard work,” she said.
“To every small business and to the community members thank you so much for donations.
“Special thanks to Nates Car Sales , City Paint and Tool, New life Apostolic Ministry, Browns Butchery, Swartz Industries and Brubo Enterprises, Mr and Mrs Cowley.”