Announcing the 2024 eCYBERMISSION National Winners!

Over 2,000 teams from across the United States and DoDEA schools worldwide competed in the 2023-2024 eCYBERMISSION competition. The top 20 of those teams, this year's National Finalists, joined us in Chantilly, Virginia for the 22nd annual National Judging & Educational Event. Now, we are proud to announce the winners of the 2023-2024 eCYBERMISSION competition!

6th Grade National Winner

Momentum Charge

Team Members: Cooper Daniel, Xander Gonzalez, Knox Stary, Krue Stary
Team Advisor: Laura Stary
Southcrest Christian School, Lubbock, Texas

Abstract:

The use of fossil fuels as a source of energy is creating a crisis for our nation. It is estimated that these fuels will be depleted within the next 75 years, yet we rely on them for over 75% of our energy needs. 43% of greenhouse gas emissions come from fossil fuels, with vehicles being a major source of these emissions. The U.S. is transitioning to electric vehicles, but they ultimately rely on fossil fuels for charging. Is it possible to create a device that would harness and store a charge for an electric vehicle, utilizing the mechanical energy of wind produced by the car? Could this allow the car to travel further on a charge and decrease the use of electricity to charge the batteries?

During research studies, microblades have been tested by mounting small wind turbines onto the grill of cars, but inefficiency has been a problem. The team’s goal was to increase the amount of energy stored for charging and determine if a different blade style could overcome previous inefficiencies. Three different blade models were created, 3D printed, and tested to determine their efficiency. The designs included traditional 3-blade and 5-blade models, as well as a spiral design inspired by Archimedes’ mathematically designed spiral from 225 BC. Efficiencies of the blades were tested with a wind source, tachometer, and multimeter, and it was discovered that the Archimedes blade was far superior to the traditional designs for creating energy using wind and drag. The use of this ancient design could potentially support today’s energy needed to charge a generator while a car is in motion and be the answer for a clean, free, and renewable energy resource for charging electric vehicles.

7th Grade National Winner

The Water Project

Team Members: Clara DuPlessie, Elliana Shahan
Team Advisor: Beth DuPlessie
Homeschool, Foxboro, Massachusetts
Abstract:

Many people in villages in Malawi do not have reliable access to clean drinking water because it can be contaminated with cholera. In August of 2023, there were 58,982 cholera cases including 1,768 deaths in Malawi.

We engineered a filter that will remove cholera from water using the cobs of maize, which is the staple crop in Malawi. The maize cobs are turned into biochar, which is an effective water filter. To produce the biochar, we built a retort oven, iterating four times to develop a reliable design. The filter body is made using a plastic soda bottle which is readily available in villages in Malawi. The bottle is cut in half and the biochar, along with two pieces of fabric, is placed in the top half of the bottle while the bottom half collects the filtrate. 

We created four variations of the filter to test. Non-infectious E. coli is a good substitute for cholera and safer to work with. Freeze dried, non-infectious E. coli was rehydrated and incubated, then added to water. The E. coli water was run through all four filters and the filtrate was tested. The results show that the filters containing our corn cob biochar removed the E. coli to a level that the WHO considers “Low Risk.” 

The corn cob biochar performed better than store bought activated carbon in removing E. coli. Our process and product will allow people to cheaply and easily filter their water and lower the risks of contracting cholera.

8th Grade National Winner

The Scientists

Team Members: Daniel Dao, Lawrence Dao, Eian Pracht
Team Advisor: Nancy Jackson
Lawrence Virtual School, Robinson, Kansas
Abstract:

ChatGPT, a cutting-edge AI chatbot, holds the power to transform education and beyond. Major districts such as New York and Los Angeles have permitted students and teachers to use the application in schools. However, our district blocked access to this tool on iPads given to 11,000 students and 500 teachers without offering any explanation or guidance. This ban highlighted a pressing issue within our community: an absence of discussion, education, and support regarding AI and its tools like ChatGPT in our district. Last October, we embarked on a mission to tackle this issue, aiming to raise awareness, share our findings, and propose solutions for it. Utilizing scientific methods, we conducted surveys and experiments. Our surveys showed that 58% of students and 71% of teachers had used ChatGPT, despite the ban. All participants supported educational initiatives on its merits and drawbacks. Additionally, 60% of students and 56% of teachers advocated for integrating ChatGPT into schools. Our experiments assessed how ChatGPT's mathematical reasoning is affected by adjustments in factors such as problem sets, testers, prompts, and timing of the tests. ChatGPT showed proficiency with simpler problems but struggled with complex ones, occasionally providing erroneous or nonsensical responses. Throughout our project, we engaged and shared our findings with classmates, parents, and educators. We also presented to the district authorities who acknowledged the issue and proposed collaboration on crafting AI literacy guidelines. In summary, our mission emphasizes the significance of integrating AI education into schools to prepare students for success in a technology-driven world.

9th Grade National Winner

Team BioTech

Team Members: Emma Simmons, Sarah Simmons
Team Advisor: Lisa McLeod-Simmons
Homeschool, Fairfield, Pennsylvania
Abstract:

Our project focuses on one of the most critical challenges facing our community and the nation, equitable access to healthcare. We invented Respitronics, a wearable biomedical sensor, that enhances the viability of remote healthcare (Telemedicine) by accurately acquiring vital medical data from patients with Chronic Lower Respiratory Diseases (CLRD) and remotely transmitting it to healthcare providers through the Internet of Medical Things (IoMT). 

Nearly half a billion people suffer from CLRD, which includes Asthma and COPD. 15% of Americans have CLRD and it’s the fifth leading cause of death in our home state of Pennsylvania. Certain demographic groups are more severely impacted by CLRD, including those with disabilities and lower incomes, the elderly, minorities, and women. These groups experience further barriers to healthcare due to income restrictions, limited transportation, and physical restrictions. Those in rural areas also have restricted access to healthcare. 

Fortunately, Telemedicine provides much-needed access for these people. However, Telemedicine has significant drawbacks, namely, providers don’t have access to real-time patient health data, including respiration rate and blood oxygen saturation levels. 

Respitronics bridges this gap by enabling doctors to access real-time pulmonary function data. Engineered using Universal Design Principles to augment access, the invention uses cutting-edge electrically conductive textiles that we adapted to operate as a biosensor. We customized electronic circuit boards with novel algorithms that enable the sensor to collect, analyze, and live-stream a patient's vital physiological data to medical professionals during Telehealthcare visits enabling doctors to better diagnose, treat, and monitor patients with CLRD.

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Congratulations to the 2023-2024 eCYBERMISSION National Winners! We are so proud of not just our National Winners, but every student who completed an eCYBERMISSION project this year. Thank you to all of the volunteer CyberGuides, Virtual Judges, and Ambassadors who supported and encouraged students, and thank you most of all to the Team Advisors. eCYBERMISSION can only do its job promoting STEM for all with your hard work.

Registration for the 2024-2025 eCYBERMISSION competition opens in August. The eCYBERMISSION Mini-Grant program is accepting applications for the 2024-2025 competition cycle at www.ecybermission.com/MiniGrantProgram. For more information about eCYBERMISSION, visit www.ecybermission.com or email us at missioncontrol@ecybermission.com.

Faith Benner

Sr. Communications and Marketing Specialist