Cambridge student, 12, turns movement into energy, eyes $25K prize

A 12-year-old student from Cambridge, Massachusetts, has developed a technology that could help find new ways to generate cleaner energy by capturing power from everyday movement.Ahmed Abdelsalam, a sixth-grade student at Darby Vassall Upper School, created VERDA, a system that harvests energy from sources including walking.Ahmed’s project has earned him a place among the 10 finalists of the 2026 3M Young Scientist Challenge, a US national science competition for students aged 11 to 14.The competition recognises young students who use science and technology to develop solutions for real-world problems.As one of the finalists, Ahmed will now receive mentorship from a 3M scientist during the summer. He will continue improving his project before taking part in the final competition in October, where he will compete for a $25,000 grand prize and the title of 'America's top young scientist'.Idea of energy harvestingAhmed’s project focuses on a concept called energy harvesting.