Princeton Day School sophomore Ziad Ahmed designed a 3-D printed solar panel iPhone charger in May.
PRINCETON - A 16-year-old Princeton Day School student has designed a sustainable piece of technology - a portable 3-D printed solar panel iPhone charger.
Ziad Ahmed designed the charger, which he calls the "Z-Charge," with help from his Princeton Day School teacher Chris Maher in May - when Ahmed was only a sophomore, according to the Z-Charge website.
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Photo of Princeton Day School teen Ziad Ahmed, provided by Afsheen Shamsi. Ahmed used 3-D printing and solar panels to create the iPhone and iPad charger as part of an independent study in Princeton Day School. He put together the study with Maher in order to learn more about 3-D modeling and engineering design, according to the website.
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"(Princeton Day School) had been seeking innovative ways to accommodate the increasing need for charging stations. (Ahmed) and (Maher) felt it necessary to work towards a sustainable solution," Former Princeton Public Schools Board Member Afsheen Shamsi wrote in a press release Thursday.
Ahmed used a battery, solar panel, cigarette lighter and a USB car charge adaptor as the base of the charger and worked with a desktop 3-D printer to create the finished product, according to his website.
The body of the charger as well as the handle, plug-ins and charger dock were made using the printer.
The charger was just the latest of Ahmed's accomplishments. He notes in his website bio that he was the founder and creator of "Redefy.org," a social justice website for teenagers that's aimed at combating stereotypes.
Though Ahmed only launched the website when he was 14-years-old, its popularity grew quickly and led to the teenager being invited to dinner at the White House this summer.
Anna Merriman may be reached at amerriman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @anna_merriman Find The Times of Trenton on Facebook.
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