A creative idea to save a patient’s life while on the way to the hospital was the pathway for Joseph Lee from Airdrie, Alberta, to be named as a finalist in a global auto design competition put on by Toyota.
The 14-year-old is the only Canadian finalist in Toyota’s annual ‘Dream Car Art Contest’ which invites youth from around the globe to design a vehicle that helps make the world a better place. “I thought why not try and do it, because I have nothing to lose,” Lee said in an interview with AirdrieToday, adding it took him two weeks to complete his dream car’s design.
Lee’s “Surgery on the Road” submission was considered by the judges to be a world-changing vehicle, one designed to help doctors provide surgery while a patient is in transit to the hospital to increase their chance of survival.
Lee was inspired by a personal interest in the medical field. “I kind of wanted to become a surgeon,” he said to his local paper. “So I got this idea; people die a lot because they can’t get surgery fast enough. And I just thought, ‘What if you can get through surgery while you’re going to a place where you can get better treatment?’”
This year’s contest drew in 531,692 entries from 78 countries and Joseph’s “Surgery on the Road” design was selected as a finalist in the age 12 to 15 category. As a finalist in the world competition, Joseph has won a cash prize of USD $3,000, which is intended to be used for educational purposes in order to continue fostering his innovation and support his passion to make the world a better place.
“I’m truly impressed by the creative, innovative and world-changing ideas presented by Canadian youth. With their vision to design a future that is more sustainable for our people, animals and ecosystem, it’s clear to see that these are the leaders of tomorrow bringing forward their world-changing ideas,” said Larry Hutchinson, President and CEO, Toyota Canada Inc.
First held in 2004 and now one of the world’s largest global design contests for children and youth, the Toyota Dream Car Art Contest invites future artists, designers and engineers to share their ideas about the future of mobility.
