https://ift.tt/2yc5BO5 19-Year-Old Engineer Builds Autonomous Window Cleaner for Commercial Buildings Meghana Bollimpalli, Oliver Nicholls, and Dhruvik Parikh won the top awards at the Intel ISEF 2018. PHOTO COURTESY OF SOCIETY FOR SCIENCE & THE PUBLIC/CHRIS AYERS PHOTOGRAPHY. Oliver Nicholls of Sydney, Australia, Wins $75,000 Top Prize at Intel International Science and Engineering Fair PITTSBURGH, PA, May 18, 2018 – Oliver Nicholls, 19, of Sydney, Australia was awarded first place for designing and building a prototype of an autonomous robotic window cleaner for commercial buildings at this year’s Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, a program of Society for Science & the Public and the world’s largest international pre-college science competition. The competition featured nearly 1,800 young scientists selected from 420 affiliate fairs in 81 countries, regions, and territories. In essence, a flying drone-like device is tethered to the roof of a building and equipped with a powerful spray nozzle and rotating scrubbers. The $2,300 device can withstand 28 mph winds and could replace traditional methods that can exceed $11,000 per cleaning and reduce injuries in this high-risk occupation. Nicholls received the Gordon E. Moore Award of $75,000, named in honor of the Intel co-founder and fellow scientist. Meghana Bollimpalli, 17, of Little Rock, Arkansas, received one of two Intel Foundation Young Scientist Awards of $50,000 for her novel, low-cost approach for synthesizing materials that could greatly cut the production and energy costs of making electrodes for devices like supercapacitors. She found that combining common substances like tea and molasses with nitrogen and phosphorus in a commercial microwave formed a powder that could be used as a coating for electrode-like materials, giving them similar properties of more expensive metals like platinum. Dhruvik Parikh, 18, of Bothell, Washington, received the other Intel Foundation Young Scientist Award of $50,000 for his development of less expensive yet more robust ion exchange membranes for use in large industrial-scale batteries for storing solar or wind-generated electricity for later distribution. His composite membrane has 10 times the proton conductivity of the industry’s standard membrane, while reducing production costs by about 30 percent. “Intel congratulates Oliver Nicholls, Meghana Bollimpalli, Dhruvik Parikh and all of the participants on their groundbreaking research that will help solve some of today’s greatest global challenges,” said Rosalind Hudnell, Intel vice president of Corporate Affairs and president of the Intel Foundation. “When students from different backgrounds, perspectives and geographies come together and share their ideas, there is no limit to what they can achieve.” n addition to the top winners, approximately 600 finalists received awards and prizes for their innovative research, including 24 “Best of Category” winners, who each received a $5,000 prize in addition to their $3,000 first place award. The Intel Foundation also awarded a $1,000 grant to each winner’s school and to the affiliated fair they represent. Category Name City State/Country Animal Sciences Ayman Isahaku and Anna Spektor Glendale Wisconsin Behavioral and Social Sciences Amy Shteyman Great Neck New York Biochemistry Rhea Malhotra Bethlehem Pennsylvania Biomedical and Health Sciences Nabeel Quryshi Milwaukee Wisconsin Biomedical Engineering Ronak Roy San Diego California Cellular and Molecular Biology Ella Feiner Bronx New York Chemistry Meghana Bollimpalli Little Rock Arkansas Computational Biology and Bioinformatics Marissa Sumathipala Ashburn Virginia Earth and Environmental Sciences Vasily Tremsin Moraga California Embedded Systems Burzin Balsara and Malav Shah Plano Texas Energy: Chemical Dhruvik Parikh Bothell Washington Energy: Physical Sathya Edamadaka Lincroft New Jersey Engineering Mechanics Frederik Dunschen Munster Germany Environmental Engineering Raina Jain Greenwich Connecticut Materials Science Daniel Kang Tamuning Guam Mathematics Muhammad Abdulla Melbourne Florida Microbiology Logan Dunkenberger Roanoke Virginia Physics and Astronomy Ana Humphrey Alexandria Virginia “Congratulations to Oliver Nicholls, Meghana Bollimpalli and Dhruvik Parikh on winning the top awards at the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair!” said Maya Ajmera, president and CEO of Society for Science & the Public and publisher of Science News. “The breakthrough ideas presented by the winners and finalists demonstrate how the brilliant minds of future generations will make the world a better place. These young innovators are the stewards of our future, and we look forward to seeing all that they accomplish as they continue to pursue their interest in STEM.” The Intel International Science and Engineering Fair encourages millions of students to explore their passion for developing innovations that improve the way we work and live. All finalists are selected by an affiliated, local competition and receive an all-expenses-paid trip to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair. At the competition, finalists are judged by hundreds of science, engineering and industry professionals who have a Ph.D. or equivalent (six years of related professional experience) or are senior graduate students with doctoral-level research in one of the 22 scientific disciplines above. News Source