They call him the Silicon Valley whiz kid. Mizan Rupan-Tompkins has been tinkering and inventing since he was in second grade. Now this 12-year-old home school student has addressed the COVID-19 pandemic with his most publicized invention to date: the Safe Touch Pro.
Who Is Mizan?
According to his website, Mizan began experimenting with microprocessors and coding in several programming languages at age 8. By age 10, he received accolades from Barnes & Noble bookstore as one of its “Mini Makers” of the year.
Mizan has also developed his own computer, an Alexa device from scratch, and an age-guessing robot. His curiosity is insatiable.
The Safe Touch Pro Comes to Life
When the coronavirus pandemic emerged, Mizan felt inspired to use his innovation skills to improve public health. He noticed his parents struggling to open doors or touch public surfaces without spreading germs. It didn’t take long for Mizan to turn to his 3D printer to develop a prototype for a hook-like tool.
“I really made it for my parents and now it’s helping everyone,” MIzan told reporters in San Francisco.
It took 50 attempts for the perfect Soft Touch Pro to come to life. Mizan was originally inspired by hook-like devices he found on the internet, but, as he explained, “The thing about the metal devices is they can scratch cars and they’re heavy and the coronavirus can stay on metal devices longer.”
[Text Wrapping Break]Beyond the poor design, Mizan was frustrated by the retention of germs on those metal materials. “There had to be a better way, a better design, and a way to reduce germ exposure for people,” he explains on his website.
So this 12-year-old developed a way to invent a better alternative. The Safe Touch Pro is a hand-held utility device with a retracting cable that can be mounted on a belt, used as a hook to open high-contact doors, or employed as a punch to push buttons and keypads. Better yet, it’s made with a plant-based plastic infused with silver ions.
“Once the silver comes into contact with germs and bacteria, it penetrates the cell wall and attacks the DNA so it stops reproducing and spreading,” Mizan said.
The Safe Touch Pro Receives National Recognition
Mizan’s family began manufacturing the Soft Touch Pro in their house to fulfill a handful of orders each day, but the demand is steadily growing. The device has been featured on ShareCare, co-founded by Dr. Oz, as well as Fox News, NBC News, CBS, ABC News, and Safe and Sound Schools. It’s also the winner of the 2020 Better Days Ahead award.
Though not all pre-teens have nine 3D printers in their bedroom and an intricate knowledge of prototyping, Mizan is certainly proof that children can make a huge difference in their communities- and even the world.
“Yeah, I feel like, at any age you can make a difference in the world and I was only 13 — well, I was 12 when I created it,” Mizan said with a proud grin. “I feel like I’m helping to flatten the curve of the coronavirus and I feel like my product can make a difference.”
Sources