Innovative Minds: Divyam Desai

Hunt Middle School | 7th grade | 13 years old

Foundation Tilt Prevention System

About the Idea

Meet Divyam. Divyam built a smart irrigation system that monitors soil moisture around building foundations and waters each zone only as needed, helping prevent structural tilt while conserving water in clay-rich regions.

Why did you enter the 3M Young Scientist Challenge?

I wanted an opportunity to showcase my project, and wanted the chance to raise concern on a common problem in Texas and around the world. In Texas the prevalent expansive soils cause major damages to foundations, and in turn, result in costly repairs for homeowners, like my parents. I believe that my project can raise concern to this common problem, especially that from large companies that have more power to make a difference than I do.

What is your favorite invention of the last 100 years, and why?

My favorite invention of the last 100 years is the 3-D printer. Even though it seems insignificant compared to other inventions, the 3-D printer has many purposes, as it can be used for many different topics and can provide use to people of any job or skill sets. The 3-D printer can also come in handy when trying to create new inventions, as it serves as a toolbox for inventors and engineers to create shapes and molds for projects.

In 15 years I hope to be...

Mathematician. From an early age I have been curious about mathematics, and enjoy learning about different and unique aspects of it, such as algebra and statistics. I also like the unique topics math covers, ranging from solving arithmetic in a simple, step-by-step fashion, to solving the same geometry problem using several different proofs and methods.