American boy invents device to stop babies dying in heated cars

Wi-Fi and GPS enabled device consists of a fan that can detect heat and turns on when a car hits a preset temperature

An 11-year-old boy from Texas has invented a device that will keep children safe in overheated cars after seeing local traumatic incident, The Independent reported.

A year ago, Bishop Curry saw a report in the local news about a 6-month-old baby from the neighbourhood that died after being left unattended in a heated vehicle.

Traumatised by the news, Curry decided to create a prototype device that could save a child’s life.

Curry designed the device that is to be placed on a car’s headrest, which consists of a fan that can detect heat and turns on when the inside of a car hits a particular temperature which can be set.



The device also has Wi-Fi and GPS technology so that the child can be protected in a dangerous situation. Once the fan on the headrest is activated, the child’s parents get alerted through the Wi-Fi system, and if they do not respond, the local authorities are alerted.

Curry’s father who works for Toyota told CBS News said: "It made him sad, and at that point, the wheels started turning in his mind,” referring to the earlier incident. He came up with a way to prevent it from happening again.”

He added that as soon as he came home from work that day, his son ran up to him with a detailed planned for the device called 'Oasis'.

His father then set up a GoFundMe page for his son and raised $20,000. The fundraising page reads: “Saddened by a hot car death of a 6-month-old named Fern in his town, Bishop aspires to build a device that will detect when a child has been left inside a hot vehicle and alert parents to the child's situation. The device will also come with the technology to help cool down the child while he or she waits to be rescued.”



Curry has a provisional patent and a 3-D model for his device as well. They also have support of his father’s company, Toyota, who sent the pair to the Centre for Child Injury Prevention Conference. At the conference, Curry presented his idea to different companies.

Averages of 37 people per year die in the US due to heated cars, according to the campaign group Kids and Cars. Curry’s father also said: “This device is designed to buy time and give parents a second chance to run out and their kids. He’s trying to delay a tragic event by doing something that really makes sense.”