Esteban Blandon

Esteban Arango Blandon is a student at the Commercial Educational Institution of Envigado, Colombia. At just 16 years of age, he is a prolific, multi-award-winning inventor across a range of disciplines, is a staunch advocate for using technology to help his community, and wants to help change the global perception of Colombia as a hub for science, technology and innovation among young people.

Winning awards at the National Colombian Inventor Awards for six consecutive years, Esteban has designed:

Solar pesticides for purifying gardens with which he has helped reduce the proliferation of dengue, zika, chikungunya, and yellow fever, while simultaneously improving air quality in orchards and gardens through air purifying plants recommended by Nasa. He is currently marketing prototypes through OLX, Mercado Libre and Aliexpress and has worked with the Word Mosquito Program.

A crushing machine for recyclable materials such as plastic and Styrofoam to make eco-bricks and eco-planters for reforestation. Additionally, he designed robotic arms for recycling and flattening waste, reducing the danger of cuts and contracting infections when handling waste manually.

A robotic helmet with anti-violence and addiction 3D glasses. This creates projections that motivate self-care, self-love, rewarding friendships, positive life habits, and warns against drugs and addictions.

An anti-mine robot that detect ammonium nitrate at 1.5m and prevents fatal accidents by stepping on anti-personnel mine with an ultrasonic sound and alarm. He has worked jointly with the Humanitarian Demining Engineers Battalion No. 7 of Colombia to implement this solution.

A biofuel aeration transforming machine that use Chlorella vulgaris microalgae to mix leftover cooking oil with CO2 to generate environmentally friendly biofuel.

Through tutorials and workshops, Esteban has shared these inventions widely included victims of violence and displaced people so that they can replicate take forward his designs as a source of employment and entrepreneurship.

Esteban leads two school research groups: Engineers for the Future and GCA (Environmental Awareness Managers), where he has participated in municipal, regional, national and international meetings to share his inventions, for example participating in the National Fair to share his dengue control project with cities, regions and countries affected by this problem.

He also works with indigenous communities together with the S. T AUTHORIDAD INDÍGENA initiative, where together they seek improve their livelihoods and enable indigenous people to make handicrafts to generate employment and promote investment in local commerce with the sponsorship of Rotary International Interact.

Esteban is also part of the Rotary International Interact group of Envigado which collects donations to combat polio, collects food for foundations and youth centers with vulnerable victims of violence, immigrants and displaced people, and also collects toys for children from villages in the municipality.