This 12-Year-Old Girl Invented A Solar-Powered Sleeping Bag To Help The Homeless

Follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and WhatsApp for the latest stories and breaking news.

A 12-year-old Scottish girl has been named one of TIME Magazine's "Girls of the Year" for inventing a solar-powered sleeping bag to help the homeless

Concerned about homelessness in her hometown of Glasgow, Rebecca Young came up with an idea to help those in need as part of a school project.

Growing up in a city where winter temperatures could drop to -8°C, Young knew how deadly this could be for homeless people forced to sleep on the streets.

Young's desire to help the homeless led to the creation of a a practical, sustainable solution — a heated blanket built into a backpack and powered by solar panels.

While heated sleeping bags are nothing new, they require access to electrical outlets, something the homeless often lack

Young's invention, however, uses solar panels to charge a battery, allowing it to operate for up to eight hours without an external power source.

She conducted extensive research on batteries, solar panels, and heat retention to design her first prototype. She even designed a control circuit that could automatically read temperatures and switch the sleeping bag off and on as necessary, conserving power and ensuring efficient operation.

Her solar-powered sleeping bag beat 70,000 entries in the UK Primary Engineer Competition, earning her both a commendation medal and a silver medal in the main event.

Young's invention was soon turned into a working model by the engineering firm Thales, and is now undergoing trials at a Scottish charity supporting homeless people in Glasgow

Thales hopes to develop the sleeping bag further and patent it before turning it to production.

At 12, she has been named by TIME Magazine as one of this year's 10 "Girls of the Year", celebrating remarkable young women from around the world who have inspired and supported their communities.

They were even featured on TIME's cover, illustrated in the style of Lego minifigures.

Despite her achievement, Young aspires to become a musician instead of an engineer

"I couldn't be more proud, it's fantastic. It's obviously all come from a drawing and going from that to it actually being made is amazing," Young's mother, Louise, told BBC Scotland News.