More efficient wind turbines, music therapy for dogs and the impact of the pandemic on mental health are among the 550 projects on display at this year's BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition.
The event, which showcases research and innovation in science, technology, engineering and maths, is back in-person after two years of virtual events.
More than 1,100 students from across Ireland are gathering in the RDS for the exhibition.
Cian Mangan from St Colman's College in Claremorris, Co Mayo, developed an app for making drivers more aware of tyre safety.
"The app has reminders, it has a diary so you know when you last got new tyres and it has information on how to maintain tyres," Cian said.
Sara O'Beirne from Mohill Community College in Co Leitrim, developed a more eco-friendly, cost-effective wind turbine.
"As I turn the generator it uses coils of copper wire and magnets to generate electricity. The turbines are made of wood rather than plastic," Sara said.
Edel McMahon from Desmond College in Limerick developed a device to help people who need assistance using stairs while a team from St Joesph's Community College in Kilkee, Co Clare have extracted a biofuel from seaweed called 'kelpoleum'.
A group from St Mary's Secondary School in Glasnevin studied the impact of different kinds of music on drivers.
"We used a driving simulator and saw that jazz was the best music overall as it kept drivers in control of their steering wheels but we did find that all music tended to get the drivers to speed up," said team member Kate Balance.
Climate change, the impact of the pandemic and mental health are all strong themes this year.
Mia Cooney and Lily McGough from Mercy Secondary School in Tuam studied various factors that affect mental health.
"We investigated the pandemic, social media, friends and school and saw that they impacted people both positively and negatively," Mia said.
"We saw that the pandemic had a mostly negative affect but social media had both positive and negative impacts," she added.
The projects on display come from 212 schools and span the categories of technology; biological and ecological sciences; social and behavioural sciences; and chemical, physical and mathematical sciences.
A judging panel, made up of more than 80 people, will choose the winning entries which will be announced at an awards ceremony on Friday.
The overall prize winners will receive the BTYSTE perpetual trophy, a cheque for €7,500 and will go forward to represent Ireland at the European Union Contest for Young Scientists in Brussels in September.
President Michael D Higgins officially opened the 2023 exhibition this afternoon and he extended his best wishes to all those taking part.
"What a great time it is to be a young scientist – challenging, yes, but so potentially fulfilling to know that the choices you make will have effects that are important, not just for your own time but for the very possibility of life in its diverse forms, on our vulnerable planet," President Higgins said.
Kelp biofuel, more efficient wind turbines and the impact of music on drivers - just some of the 550 projects on display at this year's BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition. https://t.co/RcHODFicn1 @BTYSTE @rtenews pic.twitter.com/pmm98vkDyZ
— Brian O'Donovan (@BrianOD_News) January 11, 2023
More than 100,000 students have taken part in the Young Scientist Exhibition since the first event in 1965.
Many previous winners have developed their projects into successful commercial enterprises.
Patrick Collison, who won the exhibition in 2005, went on to form Stripe, a multibillion-euro payments company.
The event has been organised by BT Ireland since 2001.
"BT Ireland is delighted to provide this platform for school students to share their extraordinary ideas," said Shay Walsh, Managing Director, BT Ireland.
"I am always amazed by the high calibre of the projects on show, addressing some of the major challenges our world is currently facing," Mr Walsh said.
Also taking place alongside the BTYSTE is the Primary Science Fair, now in its 21st year, bringing together hundreds of primary students from across Ireland to the RDS tomorrow and Friday to showcase their projects.
The BT Young Scientist & Technology Exhibition opens to the public from tomorrow until Saturday.
