A young innovator from San Jose, California, has captured national attention with her invention aimed at preventing house fires.
Shanya Gill, a middle school student, was honored among others for Time’s 2024 Kid of the Year following the success of her thermal camera-based device.
This device can detect unattended heat sources in homes and alert users through a text message if no human presence is detected within two minutes.
Gill’s invention, inspired by a 2022 fire that destroyed a nearby restaurant, won her first place in the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge.
The national science competition awarded Gill a $25,000 prize, and her device was hailed for addressing a real-life problem, according to Maya Ajmera, president of Society for Science.
Gill’s device has also attracted interest from national fire safety leaders.
In March 2024, she met with U.S. Fire Administration Chief Lori Moore-Merrell to discuss her project.
Gill was surprised by how familiar Moore-Merrell was with her work and was pleased to learn that the U.S. Fire Administration is exploring potential funding for the project.
The device, still in the testing phase, has been trialed in Gill’s home but has yet to be widely released.
Moore-Merrell’s involvement signals the growing interest from safety officials in bringing the technology to a broader audience.
Gill is continuing to improve her device, incorporating artificial intelligence to enhance its functionality.
She has uploaded the project’s code to GitHub, making it available as an open-source project to invite contributions from other developers.
Despite some challenges with bugs in the code, Gill remains focused on making the technology widely accessible.
“I just want other people to be safe—and I want people to feel safe in their own homes,” Gill said.
By sharing her work, she hopes to expand the device’s reach beyond her own testing.
While Gill’s fire safety device has received recognition, her journey has also contributed to her personal growth.
Reflecting on her experiences, she shared how innovation has helped her build self-confidence.
Gill noted: “Innovation can have a lot of impact—not only on the people you’re helping, but also on yourself.”
Her work has earned her a spot as honoree for Time’s 2024 Kid of the Year, solidifying her position as a rising figure in the STEM community.
TIME’s recognition is a testament to her determination to create life-saving solutions while also pushing her own boundaries.
Shanya Gill, a student from San Jose, California, has been honored for Time’s 2024 Kid of the Year following her invention of a fire prevention device.
The device uses a thermal camera and a small computer to detect unattended heat sources in homes, sending a warning text message to users if no one is present.
Gill’s work earned her the top prize at the Thermo Fisher Scientific Junior Innovators Challenge and attracted the attention of U.S.
Fire Administration Chief Lori Moore-Merrell.
As Gill continues to refine her invention, she remains focused on making it widely accessible through open-source collaboration.
