Thanks to an impressive young mind, Inventionland has made the headlines again! This time, our creative design facility was mentioned in an online TribLIVE article that spotlighted the local 13-year-old inventor who won the “Design Lives Here” competition that we sponsored with WQED-TV.

For the invention competition, Austin Quillan Carver found a Better Way for kayakers to stay dry and keep their gear from getting wet when they are out on the water.

According to the TribLIVE article, Carver is an avid camper who came up with the idea for his invention because he was frustrated with his gear always getting soaked.

“… [Carver] designed a waterproof cover that fits over a kayak and kayaker to keep them and their gear dry; it also detaches and folds out to become a one-person tent on land,” said Matthew Santoni of TribLIVE.com.

The eighth-grade Bethel Park student also told the Trib that he is building a prototype of his kayaking invention in hopes of being featured on “The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon.” Fallon’s “Fallonventions” segment has recognized young inventors in the past, even awarding them with $5,000 to continue to pursue their invention dreams.

Finally, like so many other everyday idea people, it seems that Carver may not have immediately considered himself an “inventor,” but simply someone who saw a problem and found a Better Way.

“It shows me that some people don’t like science, but it can lead to some really cool stuff… I do a lot of camping and fishing and I really hate when my stuff gets wet,” said Carver.

No matter what path led him to his invention idea, we think that Carver is one young mind with incredible inventing potential!

Read more about Carver and his waterproof kayak cover here.

Copyright Inventionland 2014