From Curiosity to Creativity: Anuki’s Futuristic Fuel for Cars

As just a fifth grader, Anuki Liyanage dared to dream beyond what most adults even consider: reinventing how we power our cars. Her project, The Futuristic Fuel for Cars, was born out of a simple pastime of watching cars pass by and blossomed into a thoughtful exploration of fuel cells, environmental impact, and innovation.

Anuki’s idea centered on water. Through her research, she learned about electrolysis, the process of splitting water into hydrogen and oxygen, and how recombining those elements inside a fuel cell chamber could generate energy. This clean energy, she imagined, could replace traditional fuel and dramatically reduce environmental harm.

With limited resources at her disposal in 2020, Anuki created a theoretical prototype. She carefully designed a model to showcase her vision for the Invention Convention, demonstrating both her scientific curiosity and her ability to translate complex research into a tangible concept.

“It took lots of research to come up with,” she explained, adding that while she couldn’t manufacture a working prototype at that age, she proudly presented her design and ideas to show what was possible.

Image from Anuki Liyanage: Invention Convention, 2025

Her project board, complete with labeled sections for the problem, solution, resources, and even a marketing plan, reflected her holistic approach to problem-solving. Even though she humbly admits her marketing plan wasn’t as developed, Anuki’s work shows an important truth: innovation is about asking big questions and daring to imagine bold solutions, even before all the answers are clear.

Today, her project serves as a reminder that young innovators hold the potential to reimagine the future of science, technology, and sustainability. With curiosity as her starting point, Anuki has already proven that age is never a barrier to ideas that can change the world.

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