Real World Design Challenge 2015 Winners Announced!!!

Real World Design Challenge                               
2015 Winners Announced!
 
NEWS RELEASE
For Immediate Release: November 15, 2015  
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All the teams that participated in the RWDC National Championship are winners. Each team distinguished themselves as State Winners. All of the teams that competed in this years Challenge are among the "Best and Brightest" students in the United States.
 
To be selected as one of the Top Three Teams or Merit Award Winners sets these students achievement out among students nationally. Congratulations to all the Winners!!!
 
The Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, Alabama and North Carolina have been chosen as the top three teams nationwide!!! The CNMI Team won the National Championship. This is the second time CNMI won this coveted title. Second place went to Alabama, with North Carolina taking third place. Each student on the RWDC National Champion Team gets a $50,000 scholarship to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University!!! Special congratulations to the students on the CNMI Team!!!
 
The 2015 RWDC National challenge focused on unmanned systems and precision agriculture through the design and implementation of Unmanned Areal Systems (UAS) to support precision agriculture, specifically the targeted and efficient application of pesticide to control local crop predation. The teams used concepts from Engineering Technology (i.e., application of science and engineering to support product improvement, industrial processes, and operational functions) to identify, compare, analyze, demonstrate, and defend the most appropriate component combinations, system/subsystem design, operational methods, and business case to support the challenge scenario.
 
Teams were judged based on the scoring of their (1) Engineering Design Notebooks, a detailed 80 page report of their technical work and results. The Engineering Design Notebooks were judged by a panel of Technical Judges using a detailed Scoring Rubric; and (2) Presentations of their work before panels of Challenge Judges. The Challenge Judges determined the top three teams and the Merit Award Winners. A panel of Blue Ribbon Judges ranked the Top Three Teams and determined the National Champion based on the Top Three Teams' Presentations.
 
We want to thank all of our judges who worked tirelessly to identify the best work from teams across the country. Their efforts made a significant contribution to the RWDC Teams' educational experience!!! I want to offer a special thanks to Dr. Robert Deters, Assistant Professor of Aeronautical Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, for leading the technical Judging and serving a Co-Lead of the Overall Judging Process; to Dr. Joyce Malyn-Smith, Principal Investigator Focusing on Strategic Initiatives in STEM Workforce & Human Development at the Education Development Center, who was Co-Lead of the Overall Judging Process and to Mr. Jeffrey Coppola, RWDC Program Manager, who organized the logistics for the whole 2015 judging!!!
 
Dr. Ralph Coppola
Founder and Director of the Real World Design Challenge
Phone: 703-298-6630

Real World Design Challenge 2015 Top Three Teams

National Champion
CNMI
Team: CNMI Aeronautical Dolphins
School: PSS CNMI MHS
City: Saipan, CNMI

Second Place
Alabama
Team: The Fort Payne Seven
School: Fort Payne High School
City: Fort Payne, AL

Third Place
North Carolina
Team: AeroHeads
School: The STEM Early College at NC A&T
City: Greensboro, NC
Real World Design Challenge 2015 Merit Award Winners!!!
 
Vermont, Iowa, Maryland, Arkansas, Nevada, California, Arizona, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania are the 2015 Merit Award Winners! This is first year there were two Judges' Awards given.
 

Merit Award

Winner
I nnovation
 
Judges look for teams whose work stand out and make them say "wow!" This award is presented to the team that produces the most thought provoking and innovative solution; including how and why it was chosen as based upon data in scoring rubric.
 
Winner: Vermont
Team: Strictly Business
School: South Burlington High School
City: South Burlington, VT
 
Vermont won the Innovation award for their outside-the-box solution for dealing with the weight issue while keeping within FAA regulations.
 
Teamwork and Collaboration
 
Teamwork is critical to succeed in RWDC and it is the key ingredient in any team's success. This award is presented to the team whose members best demonstrate extraordinary enthusiasm and spirit, exceptional partnership, the utmost respect for their own teammates, and support and encouragement of fellow teams. They demonstrate confidence, energy, strong problem solving skills, and great group dynamics as based upon data in scoring
rubric.
 
Winner: Iowa
Team: T.E.A.M. + 2
School: West Central High School
City: Maynard, IA
 
Iowa won the Teamwork and Collaboration award for their enthusiasm, spirit and respect for each other demonstrated during their presentation itself and continuing in the unrehearsed Q&A period.
 
 
Effective Use of Mentors
 
Mentors have given their time to provide wisdom and guidance. This award is given for the team that utilized this precious resource most effectively based upon data in scoring rubric.
 
Winner:   Maryland
Team: CTC CAD Engineering Team
School: Frederick County Career & Technology Center
City: Frederick, MD
 
Maryland won the Effective Use of Mentors award for how the team effectively used its mentors throughout the design/development process.
 
 
 
I mpact on STEM
 
This award is given in recognition of an exceptional idea that has the most potential to make a significant impact in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education programs at any level. Based on data in scoring rubric.
 
Winner: Arkansas
Team: Flying Tigers
School: Little Rock Central High School
City: Little Rock, AR
 
Arkansas won the Impact on STEM award for including calculations in their presentation illustrating that they conducted the mathematical analysis of the problem and presented those to the judges in their solution. Arkansas, furthermore, had specifics in their notebooks that convinced judges that they were going to expand their work in all areas of STEM.
 
Best/Creative Presentation
 
This award is presented to the team that gives the most imaginative, creative presentation demonstrating the team's research and the path to their ultimate solution. It's one thing to create something unique, but you must also tell people what it is or convince them they should use it. Why is your solution better/faster/more efficient than something already out there? Or, if your creation is truly unique, what is it and what does it do? This award goes to the team that best convinces the judges their solution is the best for the given problem.
 
Winner: Nevada
Team: RamJets
School: Rancho High School
City: Las Vegas, NV
 
Nevada won the award for Best/Creative Presentation for the effective use of their 3D model to enhance their presentation and enable the judges to understand their process and design.
 
Apprentice Award
 
A squadron of someday-professionals entered the realm of Real World Design Challenge this year. They have gone above and beyond their peers and have shown the promise that they will be among the most elite of veteran teams when they return next year. This award is given to the team that performs the best in all three categories of the RWDC among first year teams.
 
Winner: California
Team: Space Yetis
School: El Segundo High School
City: El Segundo, CA
 
California won the Apprentice Award for receiving the highest scores of all 2015 apprentice teams.
 
Against All Odds
 
This award goes to the team that improvises and overcomes a difficult situation while still making a respectable showing, with an attitude that shows, "We can overcome incredible odds if we never give up, no matter what!"
 
Winner: Arizona
Team: Wingdings
School: Kingman High School
City: Kingman, AZ
 
Arizona won this award for their rapid response to technology failure. The morning of the 2015 competition the team arrived at school to find the school closed. Upon gaining access they found the technology in the school was turned off for the weekend. Students moved everything to a nearby Starbucks. They set up with all of the requirements in place, were ready to go at the designated time, and delivered their online presentation.
 
Judge's Award
 
During the course of competition the judges may encounter a team whose unique efforts, performance, or dynamics merit recognition. Some teams have a story that sets them apart in a unique way. Sometimes a team is so close to winning an award that the judges choose to give special recognition to the team. This award gives the judges the freedom to recognize the most remarkable teams for which a standard award does not exist.
 
Winner: Massachusetts
Team: Jet Engineers
School: Newburyport High School
City: New Newburyport, MA
Winner: Pennsylvania
Team: The CCA Innovators
School: Commonwealth Connections Academy
City: Harrisburg, PA
 
This year the judges chose to give the Judges Award to two states: Massachusetts and Pennsylvania
 
Massachusetts won the Judge's Award in recognition for the overall quality of their work. The team's high scores made them very close to becoming one of the top three teams.
 
Pennsylvania won the Judge's Award because they showed great strength in several of the Merit Award categories but did not quite fit the exact criteria for any of them.
 

 

Dr. Ralph K. Coppola | Real World Design Challenge| 703-298-6630 | [email protected]| www.realworlddesignchallenge.org
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