Eagle Scout Kenneth Shinozuka has invented a device that could revolutionize care for the more than 5 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s.

And did I mention he’s just 15?

The New York City teen’s grandfather is living with the disease, and Kenneth noticed his grandpa would often wander out of bed at night, sometimes injuring himself.

Fellow Boy Scouts who volunteered with Kenneth at nursing facilities discovered other Alzheimer’s patients wandered, too.

This inspired Kenneth to invent a small sensor an Alzheimer’s patient wears on his or her foot.

When the person stands up — to walk around, for example — the device instantly sends an alert to the caregiver’s phone.

The invention has already won Kenneth international acclaim — and a ton of money. He was the sole winner of the $50,000 Scientific American Science in Action Award, powered by the Google Science Fair.

“I wanted to create a real-time, low-cost alert system that would … protect the safety of my grandpa,” Kenneth explains in his project video, which you can watch below. “Until we find a cure for Alzheimer’s, I hope my sensor can make the millions of wandering patients safe and their caregivers relieved.”

Learn more about his project at this Google Science Fair page.

Vote for Kenneth for the Google Science Fair’s Voter’s Choice Award

Go here and find Kenneth’s project to submit your vote.

You can only vote once, and voting closes on Sunday, Sept. 14.

Video

H/T: I first learned of this story over on Scouting Newsroom.