The young 10-year-old innovator in grade five at St Joseph’s Primary School, Taree has entered his invention into Origin’s littleBIGidea and is in the running to win the trip of a lifetime to visit the NASA Kennedy Space Centre in Florida, USA.

Now in its fourth year, Origin’s littleBIGidea provides students with an opportunity to continue Australia’s rich tradition of innovation which has seen plastic bank notes, the bionic ear and Wi-Fi technology invented and developed on these shores.

Ved’s littleBIGidea entry, the “Toothprush 3000”, also known as the TP3K, is a toothbrush with a wide stem and a button underneath the brush. The wide stem has a hollow pipe which allows a thin tube of toothpaste to be inserted. The tube of toothpaste connects to a button at the bottom of the brush, which when pressed allows toothpaste to come out of the bristles of the toothbrush. No more messy toothpaste tubes and trying to squeeze the tube for the last little pieces.

“I always struggle to squeeze the toothpaste,” Ved explained.

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He came up with the idea when his teacher, Miss Young, asked the students to think of inventions for the competition.

Ved’s mother, Bharti is very thankful for the encouragement and help the teachers at St Joseph’s give their students.

“I’m very proud of him. It’s very encouraging for him, too,” Bharti said.

Last year it was Ved’s sister, Haley, who was in the running for a trip to NASA with her wallet invention. She was in year six at St Joesph’s at the time.

It is clear that it is not only his teachers that Ved looks up too. His parents are both doctors, and already he says when he grows up he wants to be an orthopaedic surgeon.

Donna Pidduck, chief marketing officer, Origin said she is looking forward to seeing what other creative ideas this year’s littleBIGidea competition can unveil from children in NSW and across the nation.