A cap that adapts to the sun: a young inventor from Schwabbruck wins a competition
Created: 03/21/2022, 02:00 p.m
Daniel won the first prize in “Students experiment” with a cap on which the sign is aligned in a rail using light sensors and a motor.
© Ursula Gallmetzer
Daniel Siegl was one of 58 participants who entered their projects in the regional competition of "Jugend forscht/Schüler experimentieren".
He took first place.
Schwabbruck – During a car ride, the sun dazzled the face, the brim of the sun hat got in the way at the back: That’s when Daniel Siegl had an idea.
He wanted to solve the problem with a canopy with a movable brim.
A few weeks later he had the idea of using it to compete in "Schüler experimentieren".
The parents, however, were not enthusiastic at first.
"Daniel has a lot of great ideas and big projects," Gerald Siegl thinks back to numerous ideas of his youngest child.
"I still didn't want him to take part in the competition," admits the electronic engineer and software developer.
When Daniel's brother Johannes took part two years ago, the parents realized how complex a good project is.
"And it's difficult to motivate a 10-year-old for such a long time."
Electronic waste is used for a project: go on a treasure hunt with a motorized kettcar
But when Daniel sets his mind to something, he wants to see it through.
He first turned to his teacher.
However, they were not familiar with the registration.
So Mom and Dad let themselves be persuaded to do so.
"I can help you, but you have to do it yourself," clarified Papa Gerald.
He explained to his son how to create models for the 3D printer on a laptop.
"It quickly worked out on our own," praises the father.
In addition to the plastic parts for the cap, the electronics also had to be right.
Luckily, the Siegls' technology pool is almost inexhaustible.
All sorts of small technical parts are piled up on Daniel's workbench, which takes up half the children's room.
At a local company, Daniel is allowed to help himself to electronic scrap and drives his self-propelled Kettcar on treasure hunts every day.
Using two light sensors and YouTube instructions, Daniel built his prototype.
Finally it worked that the connected motor moved.
Now it was a matter of finding a way to move the sign on the cap.
Several attempts failed.
Various cords and spools did not work.
But the young inventor was not discouraged: "You just can't give up." When he found a chain of metal washbasins while playing in the barn, Daniel finally had the brilliant idea.
With the cogwheel and the matching notches for the beads of the chain, it finally worked: The sign moved back and forth in the plastic rail depending on the light.
By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Schongau newsletter.
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"Students experiment": Online lecture as a further challenge
After four months of practice, it was now time for the theoretical part in the form of a lecture.
After a test run with an official test jury, the disappointment came: the presentation was not well received.
Mama Birgitta supported here.
She listened to everything again and again, asked questions and helped to optimize camera settings and the images shown.
Because of the pandemic, the entire competition was only held online.
"The night before we thought it wouldn't work," remembers Gerald Siegl.
His wife promised the son a cake if he did win something.
During the presentation, Daniel had to be alone in the room.
Violations would have led to exclusion.
At the door, the parents listened intently from outside.
"He did it so cleanly - very structured," they are still impressed.
And indeed: The fourth grader left his competition behind and took first place in the subject "Technology".
Now, on April 7th and 8th, the state competition of "Schüler experimentieren" will continue, where Daniel will be presenting his peaked cap.
Although extensions are not permitted, he continues to tinker with his invention away from the competition.
The technology should shrink so that it is good for on the go.
And the reward?
"I wanted a peach and passion fruit cake," says Daniel with his widest grin and adds: "I ate it all by myself."
Ursula Gallmetzer
You can find more current news from the region around Schongau at Merkur.de/Schongau.
