What were your major accomplishments at 17? Getting accepted into your dream college? Securing your first job? In Robert Sansone’s case, he could be on the verge of revolutionizing a new way to power electric vehicles (EV). The 17-year-old from Fort Pierce, Florida, recently claimed the George D. Yancopoulos Innovator Award at the 2022 Regeneron International Science and Engineering Fair for his novel synchronous reluctance motor design.
Sansone has always been a tinkerer. Despite his youth, the prolific inventor already has animatronic hands, high-speed running boots, and high-powered go-karts to his name. When Sansone stumbled upon a video illustrating the rare metals required to produce modern EV motors, he set out to find a more environmentally- and financially-friendly approach.
