The media spotlight shines on Shemar Coombs after his appearance at the 白宫科学博览会. CBS费城 reporter Trang Do interviewed him on campus.
A Penn State 阿宾顿的企业家's solution to one of life's knottiest problems, 纠结的耳塞, took him to the White House this month where he shared Rap-It-Up with the president and connected with other young inventors.
Shemar Coombs used computer aided design software and a 3D-printer to develop a prototype phone case. The 耳塞 wrap around an integrated u-shaped channel on the case's perimeter so they don't tangle. He chose a pliable and durable material known as NinjaFlex for his product, 它还能保护手机吗.
The rendering of Rap-It-Up shows the lip around the outside edge of the case, 如何防止耳塞缠结. The material, NinjaFlex, protects the phone.
Shemar and about 100 other young innovators sprinkled their displays in and around the mansion for the annual 白宫科学博览会. He explained the purpose of Rap-It-Up to President Obama although the excitement made his memory a little fuzzy, 他告诉记者 哥伦比亚广播公司费城分部最近接受采访时表示.
“他的握手真的很有力, and I decided I wasn’t washing or using that hand the rest of the day,他笑着说, 所以我用一只手在snapchat上聊天.”
Shemar said it was valuable to exchange ideas and check out other inventions at the invitation-only two-day event. 这也增强了他的动力.
“I believe if you aren't feeling inspired, you should go out and try to inspire someone else,这位费城居民说. "And then that feeling will come back around to you."
Freshman Shemar Coombs demonstrated Rap-It-Up for President Barack Obama at the 白宫科学博览会. The 3D-printed case keeps 耳塞 from tangling with a clever built-in lip. He developed it for a class through the Network for Teaching Entrepreneurship Philadelphia.
产品开发引起了Shemar的兴趣, and several 企业家ial courses supported by the Network For Teaching Entrepreneurship while in high school encouraged him. An assignment last spring to produce something that could change the world led to the conception of Rap-It-Up.
“I wanted to listen to music while we were brainstorming, 但是我的耳机线缠在一起了,谢玛说. 这就是Rap-It-Up的由来.”
这是一种转变——从一个想法开始, 视频宣传, to development -- took root at a citywide competition.
“There were cameras, investors, CEOs, and a genuine interest at the competition. I thought, this is a real possibility,” he said. “From then on, I began working to turn Rap-It-Up into a success."
谢马有条不紊地进行着, finishing among the top award winners at regional and national competitions. He needed a prototype and maker space NextFab in South Philadelphia sponsored the project. And then came the call from The White House.
Shemar Coombs at the 2016 白宫科学博览会.
Developing Rap-It-Up keeps Shemar on a strict schedule: A two-hour bus ride from his Southwest Philadelphia home to classes at 阿宾顿, and the trip home includes a detour to NextFab. He doesn’t have much time at the maker space before it closes, but the staff helps him maximize his time.
Rap-It-Up的下一个目标是什么? Shemar plans to present it at as many competitions as possible and raise money for production. His goal is to walk into a 5个以下 store and see it on sale.
“I want to take this product as far as I can,” he said.
谢玛·库姆斯的妈妈, 帕特里夏·坎贝尔, works at the Rydal Park retirement community a few blocks from 宾州州立大学阿宾顿分校. She told CBS费城 she is proud of his ingenuity and excited she went with him to the 白宫科学博览会.
阿宾顿在白宫
Shemar Coombs is the third member of the 阿宾顿 campus community to earn a coveted invitation to the White House recently. 阿宾顿学院 亚莉克希亚Hudson-Ward attended the first Tweetup Town Hall meeting and 约翰Majewicz LGBT骄傲月.
