18-year-old Mason native invents water contamination detection device, wins prize - dayton.com

But her caller achievements are acold from average.

Acharya invented a low-cost artificial quality instrumentality called Nereid that tin observe h2o contamination wrong seconds, and she has won the Gloria Barron Prize for Young Heroes for this invention.

Slightly bigger than a compartment phone, Nereid tin beryllium placed into h2o pipes to observe microbial h2o contamination by taking microscopic images of water, moving the photos done a customized neural network, and notifying section authorities truthful they tin woody with the contamination earlier it tin spread.

The thought for Nereid came from idiosyncratic experience. On a household travel to India, Acharya and her household became sick owed to drinking contaminated h2o contempt their champion efforts. When she got home, Acharya threw herself into researching the occupation and recovered much than 2.1 cardinal radical worldwide dealt with the aforesaid problem, and that astir solutions “seemed to beryllium ineffective astatine mitigating this situation astatine the section level.”

Acharya was people funny and funny successful subject from a young age. One of her earliest inventions was a potato-powered alarm clock, and 1 of her astir memorable experiments was DIY Coca-Cola.

“As a kid, I loved Coca-Cola, but my parents wouldn’t let maine to person it,” she said. “So I decided that I was going to recreate this portion myself! With carbonated water, nutrient coloring, and different supplies from my mom’s kitchen, I acceptable disconnected to recreate the look for Coca-Cola.”

The results were dubious, but her technological caput was encouraged.

In summation to a tangible solution, Acharya founded the Nereid Project, an enactment focused connected raising consciousness “through research, advocacy, and argumentation work” and “closing the h2o spread erstwhile and for all.” The Nereid Project besides holds “Water Summits” for the purposes of raising consciousness and discussing ways everyone tin bash their part.

As with astir things, the COVID-19 pandemic threw a wrench successful Acharya’s plans for these summits, and the Nereid Project had to pivot to giving virtual summits. Although this was a hard adjustment, Acharya was capable to marque it work. Even with the reinstatement of in-person events, the Nereid Project has kept immoderate online events, and these person allowed the Nereid Project to grow its reach.

The Gloria Barron Prize, founded by writer T.A. Barron successful 2001, awards young radical who enactment to assistance their communities and the planet. Acharya was shocked and honored erstwhile Barbara Ann Richman, the manager for the Barron Prize, reached retired to her and broke the quality to her.

“I americium truthful honored and grateful to person won this award,” Acharya said. “It has been a extremity of excavation for truthful agelong and I look guardant to joining an astonishing assemblage of world-changers and Young Heroes!”

Currently, Acharya studies biomedical engineering and governmental subject astatine Columbia University, a way influenced by her involvement successful “the applications of subject to nationalist policy.” She is presently moving connected the adjacent signifier of Nereid’s development: Lowering the terms (which is already astir $75) to marque it arsenic accessible arsenic possible, investigating Nereid successful the existent world, and moving to standard Nereid up to beryllium implemented some domestically and abroad.

Acharya has worked with Senator Chuck Schumer, and she was precocious invited to the Concordia Summit, held successful conjunction with the UN General Assembly. It’s harmless to accidental she’s already making waves.