Did you know that one of favorite summertime games was invented by an African American inventor and scientist? Lonnie Johnson is a famous black man who invented the world-famous watergun, the SuperSoakers®.
Once upon a time, he was a young person, just like everyone else. As a young man, he was constantly taking things apart to find out how they work and thinking of ways to make them work better. His father inspired him to learn how to fix things and to use their parts to reinvent! For example, everyday household items and a lawn mower motor can turn into a go-katr! Like many young inventors, his curious mind often got him into trouble - one time he was experimenting with rocket fuel and burned up his parents' kitchen. In his senior year of high school, he invented a remote-control robot out of junkyard scraps and won an invention competition.
He attended Tuskegee University where he received degrees in mechanical engineering and nuclear engineering. He is also, quite literally, a rocket scientist. He has worked on the Voyager, Mars Observer, and Galileo space probes at NASA.
So how did he invent the SuperSoakers®? A lifetime of tinkering, plus a moment of inspiration brought about a big idea. When a bathroom sink nozzle sprayed across the room, Johnson thought...there's something to this! He then decided to invent the world's first pressurized water gun. 4 years later, after prototype development using a rough design, an empty soda bottle and a piece of pipe, he launched his SuperSoakers®. This invention has generated over $200 million in sales!
As of 2005, he has 83 issued patents, including one for a wet diaper detector and a number for toy rockets.
Sounds like Trash to Treasure contest - with Intel and Design Squad, BKFK is challenging kids of all ages to take everyday discarded or recycled material and re-engineer it into functional products. Lonnie Johnson took a soda bottle and a piece of pipe and made the Supersoaker. What can you invent with trash?
Get started today.