Combining creativity with scientific knowledge and research to envision a future technology is no easy task. Eight student teams from across the United States and Canada, however, achieved that goal and are winners in this year’s Toshiba/National Science Teachers Association ExploraVision Awards program.
This year’s winning teams will be recognized at various events scheduled for June 8–12 in Washington, D.C.
The activities will include a visit to Capitol Hill where students will meet with members of Congress. Each student team will discuss and demonstrate their future technologies at a Science Showcase to be held at the National Press Club. Students will be formally recognized for their creativity and accomplishments during a gala awards banquet and ceremony at the Grand Hyatt Washington hotel.
Each of the eight student teams receives an all-expenses paid trip to Washington, D.C., for the gala awards program. Each student on the four first-place teams will receive a $10,000 U.S. Savings Bond. Students on the second-place teams will each receive a $5,000 savings bond. (Students comprising the second-place Canadian team will receive Canadian savings bonds purchased for the equivalent issue price in Canadian dollars.)
This year’s eight winning teams were selected from a group of 4,405 entries representing the work of more than 13,500 students from across the United States and Canada. The top winners are listed below.
First Place Winners
Grades K–3
Dardenne Elementary School, O'Fallon, Missouri
L.I.F.E Living Impaired Future Eye
"L.I.F.E Living Impaired Future Eye" enables visually impaired people to lead more independent lives. This hands-free unit uses an infrared motion system and ultrasound to detect and communicate movement to the user, allowing blind people to walk without a cane.
Grades 4–6
Home Connection/Oak Harbor, Oak Harbor, Washington
VEWS: Volcano Early Warning System
People living in volcano or mudslide prone areas will be able to safely seek higher ground, thanks to "VEWS: Volcano Early Warning System.” This CD unit uses holographic GPS to relay an emergency signal that calmly informs people of the best safety route.
Grades 7–9
Hawken Middle School, Lyndhurst, Ohio
Visible-Light Photocatalysis
"Visible-Light Photocatalysis" uses nanotechnology to detoxify and clean polluted water and air. It can also clean facilities such as hospitals to prevent the spread of disease.
Grades 10–12
Highland Park High School, Highland Park, New Jersey
Earthquake Detection: 7400 Leagues Above the Sea
"Earthquake Detection: 7400 Leagues Above the Sea" is an early-warning tsunami detection system that could prevent catastrophic loss of life as in the recent Asian tsunami. It uses geosynchronous satellites to detect electromagnetic waves and magnetic fields weeks before the impending event.
Second Place Winners
Grades K–3
LD Batchelder School, North Reading, Massachusetts
MiraclEyes 3000
"MiraclEyes 3000" is a multi-sensory aid for the blind. It uses radar, GPS, and mapping software to provide real-time walking directions to any city in the world, in any language. Instead of using a cane, users wear a belt worn around the waist to alert them to nearby objects.
Grades 4–6
Heritage Heights Elementary School, Amherst, New York
The Appy-Bot
"The Appy-Bot" eliminates the need for appendectomies in the future by using nanotechnology to repair a patient's appendix. A gel-cap taken orally will release a fleet of Appy-Bots to clear away obstructions and flush them from the body.
Grades 7–9
Loomis Grammar School, Loomis, California
Microbe ID System
The "Microbe ID System" uses sensors in a handheld device to identify the microbes that cause a patient's illness. It draws samples of air from a patient's breath and observes how particles react with specific MID sensors. Medical diagnosis can be more accurately determined.
Grades 10–12
Don Mills Collegiate Institute, Toronto, Canada
Body M.A.S.S.
"Body M.A.S.S." is a minimally invasive artificial intelligence system that monitors vital signs and nutrient mineral levels. Worn as clothing, it allows patients to monitor their health and provide information to their doctors.
The ExploraVision program encourages K–12 students to work in teams of up to four people to envision what an existing technology would look like 20 years in the future. Sponsored by the Toshiba Corporation, the Toshiba American Group Companies, and the Toshiba America Foundation, the ExploraVision program is administered by NSTA.