2011 Regional Winners
Toshiba and the National Science Teachers Association are proud to announce the 2011 ExploraVision Awards regional winners.
Grades 10–12 | Grades 7–9 | Grades 4–6 | Grades K–3
Grades 10–12
Region 1
Left to Right: Satoshi Kawada (Toshiba), David Kurkovskiy, Norine Chan, Alison Reed, Anne Manwell (Mentor), Samantha Daves (Coach)
Stuyvesant High School — New York, NY
3Drenal: Kidney Bio-Printer
The 3Drenal: Kidney Bio-Printer offers an alternative and a solution to the challenges of costly kidney transplants. Using a 3D bio-printer, 3Drenal replicates the functionality of the kidney through mechanisms of cell fusion and organogenesis. It uses a structured scaffold to establish the architecture of the kidney and then layers this structure using print heads containing proteins, organic fillers, and stem cells, constructing a transplantable kidney that will be compatible to the individual.
Region 2
Left to right: Leif Segen (Coach), Shane Moore, Agastya Mondal, Poojitha Shivaprasad, Morgan Gruenewald, David Angwenyi (Mentor), Jim Creighton (Toshiba Rep)
Hopewell Valley Central High School — Pennington, NJ
Bionic Auditory Prosthesis
The Bionic Auditory Prosthetic (BAP) is a prosthetic inner ear designed to cure deafness by allowing the human brain to process sound while bypassing the entire inner ear and vestibule-cochlear (auditory) nerve. Unlike cochlear implants or hearing aids, BAP addresses both conductive and sensorineural hearing loss, offering a more universal approach to curing deafness.
Region 3
Left to right: Robert Gotwals (Coach), William Su, Gary Li, Andrew Wu, Erick Lee, Duncan Kane (Toshiba)
North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics — Durham, NC
TSNa (Telomerase Specific Nanobots)
TSNa - Telomerase Specific Nanobots will rid cancerous cells of their immortality by telomerase inhibition. A chip will be implanted in the TSNa to program and direct it to the CR4-CR5 domain of telomerase and impede its interactions with telomeres. After recognizing a specific nucleotide sequence, TSNa will attach to a part of the telomerase complex and disrupt telomerase formation.
Region 4
Back Row (left to right): Monica Segall (Coach), Chantale Mantha (Toshiba), Cindy Browne (Principal)
Front Row (left to right): Kevin Xue, Dong Chang, Nathan Wang, Thanvin Giridhar
Photo Credit (photographer's name): Frank Hui
Don Mills Collegiate Institute —f Toronto, ON
Gyro Balance
The GyroBalance helps sufferers of vestibular disorders by using a gyroscope that balances itself using very fast vibrations or spinning. The GyroBalance corrects the human body by using the gyroscopes and accelerometers which receive information from the brain. The gyrostabilizer system will enhance the user's sense of balance regardless of what illness it is. The onboard computer system will be able to monitor the patient's data inputs and the data can be viewed a doctor in case of any problems.
Region 5
Left to right: David Lillis (Toshiba), Brandon Sim (Diamond Bar HS), Youyang Gu (Gunn HS), Laura Xu (Lubbock HS), Clinton Smith (Coach), Douglas Young (Principal- Lubbock HS)
Photo credit: Brian Morris and Rachel Naasz (Lubbock HS Journalism)
Lubbock High School — Lubbock, TX
Pollena: Multifunctional Sporopollenin-Oriented Nanoparticles for Targeted Oral Drug Delivery
The Pollena: Multifunctional Sporopollenin-oriented Nanoparticles for Targeted Oral Drug Delivery is a two-part fully integrated cancer eradicating system. Upon rapid diagnosis of the presence of cancerous cells, made possible by utilizing unique optical properties of gold nanoparticle arrays, the modified, polymer-coated pollen shells encapsulate the appropriate biopharmaceutical and deploy the drug into the body safely, reliably, and accurately.
Region 6
Back Row (left to right): Brett Killeen (School Principal), Terry Cronin (Toshiba), Laura Talbert (Toshiba)
Front Row (left to right): Howon Lee, Xinyue "Alice" Fang, Albert Chen, Marci Rosenberg, Brinn Belyea (Coach)
Torrey Pines High School — San Diego, CA
Pseudopancreatic Autograft Jejunum (P.A.J.)
Using insulin-producing yeast and jejunum tissue, the Pseudopancreatic Autograft Jejunum (P.A.J.) forms a self-regulating pancreas in the body of a diabetic. Automated insulin release will commence upon angiogenesis, when insulin produced by the yeast will be absorbed by the P.A.J. tissue and enter the hepatic portal vein. P.A.J. will liberate diabetics, curing Type 1 Diabetes and serve as a model for an industry of similar devices.
Grades 7–9
Region 1
Left to right: Hugh Savoldelli, Fabio Savoldelli (Mentor), James Savoldelli, James Hayman, Jeffrey Weiner, Jodi Hill (Coach)
Not pictured: Laura Cronin (TAF)
Horace Mann School — Bronx, NY
Subway Smart System
The Subway Smart System captures wasted wind in the NYC Subway using Smart Rails and Smart Grass. Smart Rails, placed across the track ties and on the wall of the tunnel, will extract energy when trains move down the track. Smart Grass will use piezoelectricity to harness the power of subway wind by pushing on piezoelectric crystals that convert wasted wind into usable electric current.
Region 2
Left to Right: Charlie Giunta (Toshiba), Jodi Jansen, Audrey Cooney, Emma Brown, Karen McClennen (Coach),
Sherry McWaters (Toshiba)
Photo Credit: Kristina Cawley
Merion Mercy Academy — Merion Station, PA
Pareda Protection
The Parede Protection will create disaster-safe houses from mock cell junctions that will act as a connector between walls. Made by binding flexible resilin to collagen filaments, the Parede Protection can be placed between floors and walls, creating houses that are able to withstand any natural disaster.
Region 3
From left to Right: Christina GuCarreno tierrez, Diana Lopez, Lauren Lopez, Gabriela Ballesteros, Gary R Miller (Toshiba), Susan Fleming (Coach), Octavio (Mentor, not pictured)
Our Lady of Lourdes Academy — Miami, FL
Chrisdilabyotomy
The Chrisdilabyotomy is a surgical procedure designed to repair bilateral vocal cord paralysis. This procedure consists of sensors in the diaphragm and stimulants in the thyroarythenoid muscle that physically open and close the vocal cords to repair the voice and airflow, allowing the patient to breathe, swallow and speak properly.
Region 4
Back Row (left to right): Samantha Tarnopol, Claudia Cooper
Front Row (left to right): Amy Attard (Coach), Russ Purdy (Mentor), Dave Anderson (Toshiba)
West Hills Middle School — West Bloomfield, MI
I-TBS: Intra-trachea Breathing System
The Intra-Trachea Breathing System (I-TBS) exhibits both osmosis/diffusion and transduction principles as it enhances inhalation for patients with breathing disorders or diseases of the airway using Zeolite Towers, chambers containing aluminum silicate granules that bond with nitrogen molecules. Surgically placed in the upper respiratory tract, the I-TBS detects the resultant percentage of oxygen in the bloodstream and remotely sends this to a doctor's computerized system.
Region 5
Left to right: Laura Goodhart (Coach), Charlotte Rippentrop-Pridmore, Rachel Waldon, Victoria Jones, Shawn Frost (Toshiba)
Photo Credit: Chip Parks
Episcopal Collegiate — Little Rock, AR
MRP
The Malaria Ridding Plant (MRP) destroys malaria parasites by attracting mosquitoes to plants which contain a malaria ridding drug mixed with nectar. When female mosquitoes feed on the nectar, the engineered component will neutralize any malaria the female may be carrying, preventing the subsequent transmission of the disease to humans.
Region 6
Left to right: Ron Prechtl (Chair of our School board),Ryan Nagatoshi, David Gaydos, Jim Adams (President of the School), Jeanie Kensler (Toshiba), Nancy McIntyre (Coach)
Photo Credit: Tolly Fallon
Chaminade College Preparatory — West Hills, CA
Zephyrus — VMWAT
The Zephyrus, designed to fit on the K-rail or center divider of a six lane freeway or common interstate, is a vertical wind turbine that uses the wind created from cars to create energy by spinning aluminum reinforced fiberglass blades. With a combination of photovoltaic strips and recently created technology, the Zephyrus can create a net force similar to some of today's most powerful industrial turbines.
Grades 4–6
Region 1
Left to right: John McNamara (Principal) Lou Morrone (Toshiba), Sophie Heiman, Alexandra Fryman, Philip Danziger, Thomas Venezia, Paula Engel (Coach)
Plainview Old Bethpage Middle School — Plainview, NY
BlindSight
BlindSight is a contact lens with a built-in nano-camera that sends streaming video to a computer chip implanted in the occipital lobe of a blind person. The camera moves as the body moves or as the eye roves side-to-side. BlindSight will also retrieve memories and pictures that are stored in the frontal lobes of those who lost sight.
Region 2
Back row: Brenda Conwell-Dudley (Mentor), David Gaut (Toshiba), Suzanne Sloane (Head of School, Virginia Virtual Academy)
Front row: Abby Porter (Tolbert Elementary School), Sydney Dayyani (Belmont Ridge Middle School), Jack Dudley (Virginia Virtual Academy), Jovia Ho (Tolbert Elementary School)
Virginia Virtual Academy — Herndon, VA
The HEADS UP! Helmet
The Heads Up! Helmet is a military helmet that is designed to protect soldiers from traumatic brain injury on the battlefield due to an improvised explosive device The helmet will be formed from micro layers of impact-resistant, ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene sheets spun and covered with highly sensitive temperature and air pressure sensors to detect concussive force.
Region 3
Back row (from left to right): Kristi Marshall (Principal), Peter Fehrenbach (Toshiba), Vera DeLoach (Coach)
Front row (from left to right): Rubacellie Reyes, Haley Maxwell, Zymetris Acree, Immogen Marshall
Photo credit: Diane Wilcox
Midway Elementary School — Sanford, FL
Hair Farm
Hair Farm will grow real human hair which will be harvested to produce wigs for cancer patients with hair loss due to chemotherapy. Hair will be grown in small patches of stretched human skin grafts and then combined with hair transplant techniques of today to create low cost wigs.
Region 4
From left to right: Chantale Mantha (Toshiba), Michelle Culpeper (Coach), Ujash Sooriya, Bingran Li, Al Barrett (principal)
Photo Credit: Frank Hui
W.I. Dick Middle School — Milton, ON
Holograms
The Mobile Holographic Phone is an advanced phone that uses lasers to create holograms pop ups. The MHP will take pictures one side of the phone, analyze the entire object, transport the images to a hologram projector, and activate a laser that will ultimately project the hologram.
Region 5
Left to right: Nicholas Vaporciyan, Jodie Brivic (Coach), Shariq Mallick, Jodie Glaze (Toshiba, not in the picture)
The Village School — Houston, TX
Cryocarcicide
Cryocarcicide improves cryosurgery, the process of injecting or spraying a cryofluid onto tumors, by using cryoprotectant from a wood frog that protects healthy tissue from damage caused by ice formation. The cryoprotectant, formed from urea and glucose, will prevent healthy cells from freezing while the cryofluid will destroy the tumors, reducing the harm of surgery.
Region 6
Back Row (left to right): Soren Storgaard (Toshiba), Jeff Lamb (Coach), Kristin Baranski (Coach), Dr. Laura Spencer, Andy Johnson (Principal)
Front Row (left to right): Shawnee Holimon, Haya Zidan, Jennifer Carhuamaca
Chet F. Harritt School — Santee, CA
BlindSight
The GPS Cane for the Blind contains a voice-activated GPS and an emergency-911 call button that will assist the visually impaired while traveling on foot. This waterproof cane will use a sensor at the bottom of the cane that announces the current location and will eliminate the need for guide dogs.
Grades K–3
Region 1
Left to right: Mr. Bill Cassell (Coach), Kristin Kuperstein (Mentor), Alana Zarrella, Sarah Potter, Margaret Majeski, Emily Kuperstein, Mary Ellen Murzyn (Toshiba)
Photo credit: Lou Capodilupo (TAEC)
L.D. Batchelder School — North Reding, MA
The Nutri-Fridge
The Nutri-Fridge encourages healthy eating and good nutrition by monitoring the nutritional value of food within a refrigerator. By scanning barcodes and RFIDs placed on food, the Nutri-Fridge catalogs what food is eaten by each individual in a household and makes recommendations about what food people should eat to meet their daily nutritional needs.
Region 2
Left to right: Linda O'Brien (Coach), Dylan Poirier, Sam Berdine, David Scruppi, Melissa Mankey (principal), Charlie Giunta (Toshiba)
Burgettstown Area Elementary School — Burgettstown, PA
LockPhone
The LockPhone is a device that will prevent automobile accidents caused by texting or talking on cell phones while driving. By combining a cell phone's GPS and a locator installed on the roof of a car, the LockPhone will disable the texting and calling function of the driver's cell phone for vehicles in motion.
Region 3
Back row (Left to right): Bridgett Nicholson (Coach), Heather Tomasello, (Mentor), Peter Fehrenbach (Toshiba)
Front row (Left to right): Eyra Gualtieri, Catie Tomasello, Achyudhan Kutuva
Countryside Montessori Charter — Land o Lakes, FL
The Solar Tree
The Solar T.R.E.E. will equip every home with safe, inexpensive solar and wind power by mimicking photosynthesis found in natural trees. By using artificial leaves that capture and store solar and wind energy, the Solar T.R.E.E. will reduce our dependency on fossil fuels.
Region 4
Back left to right: Izabel Vincent, Adriana Schulz, Nancy Carter (Coach), Kennedy Cross (Toshiba), Jaedyn Edle
Mediapolis Community School — Mediapolis, IA
Oh I See! OIC
OIC (Oh I See) helps visually impaired students by using a grapheme skin patch that is wirelessly connected to a classroom's smart board. The patch will wirelessly send the signal received from the smart board into the back of the student's cerebrum. This will allow the student to read and understand everything that the teacher is writing or projecting on the board.
Region 5
Back row (left to right): Karen Lozano (Mentor), Veronica Martinez (Coach), Letty Sanchez (Discovery School Principal),
Jodie Glaze (TIC)
Ront row (left to right): Davin Hickman-Chow, Pablo Vidal
Discovery Montessori School — Edinburg, TX
i.streets (Intelligent Streets)
Intelligent Streets (i.streets) reduce intersection accidents by using smart translucent film installed in windshields that receive signals from either traffic lights or satellites. These signals will rearrange molecules in the film to produce the correct traffic command (go, caution, or stop) regardless of hazardous weather conditions, distractions, or power outages.
Region 6
Back(L-R): Stacey Lamb (Coach), Courtney Georggin (Mentor)
Front (L-R): Fatima Kourdi, Jennifer Kwon, Maxine Sutton, Sinaia Haskal
Not in the picture: Colleen Smith (Toshiba)
Willow Grove Elementary — San Diego, CA
Water Cleaner Upper!
The Water Cleaner Upper is a solar- and wind-powered boat that eliminates water pollution by removing paper, plastic, aluminum cans and oil from oceans and lakes. Using big magnets and a large trash compactor, the Water Cleaner Upper sucks up trash it finds in the water while carefully avoiding fish and other wildlife. The trash is then converted into new materials in an onboard recycling center.
