Belgium’s Best Mini-Inventor designs foldable car

Eight-year-old Louis Robeyns from Antwerp province has been selected as Belgium’s Best Mini-Inventor. The youngster won the competition with his design of vouwto, a car that folds up, allowing users to carry it with them like a suitcase.

The contest, in which more than 900 Belgian pupils participated, is organised by the Technopolis museum in Mechelen, children’s channel Ketnet and the pharmaceutical company Bayer. At the start of the school year, organisers launched a call for children from six to 14 years to draw a picture of an invention that would improve quality of life.

Robeyns (pictured), who won a tablet computer as first prize, told Het Nieuwsblad that he got the idea for the vouwto because his mother often has trouble finding a parking spot. The jury liked the concept so much that it created a version of the car and is exhibiting it and Robeyns’ drawing until the end of November in Technopolis, together with the hundreds of other submitted drawings.

“We set up the competition to raise interest for science and innovation among youngsters,” said Axel Steiger-Bagel of Bayer. “The submissions exceeded our expectations. It is exceptional that such young children are thinking of solutions for mobility issues.”

photo courtesy VRT