THINK 2009 Presents

Home-Grown Project Category Winners


Finalist: ANDREW YANG

Drive Cerritos, California
Gretchen Whitney High School

Project Title

System to Improve Hospital Sanitation

Abstract

In health care institutions, an increasing trend of Superbug infections, such as C. Diff and MRSA, have resulted from inadequate sanitation standards, specifically, hand hygiene. While past systems to encourage hand washing were either too intrusive or lacked accountability on an individual basis, my proposal of registering the time of each hand wash for later administration review by a simple barcode system showed promise: in just six weeks, a resulting 13.8% increase in hand washing led to a 9.09% decrease in MRSA infections per 100 patients. On a nationwide scale, a comparable 10% decrease in MRSA infections can save 3,295 lives, $981 million, and free over 700,000 hospital bed days annually.

MIT Trip Testimony

I applied to the MIT THINK competition unassuming and nonchalantly, figuring I might as well since I had already completed a project semi-worthy of submission. I came back home blown away. After the thrill of discovering I had won a trip to MIT, the chance to meet actual professors, tour the facilities and town, and present my project, the memories of my week-long experience are still ingrained in me, and probably will be for a lifetime. This is something worth applying to and in retrospect, I&lsqup;m almost embarrassed seeing the discrepancy between my initial reluctance and the subsequent unforgettable experiences.




Semi-finalist: ASHUTOSH PATRA

Portland, Oregon
Sunset High School

Project Title

Low Cost Microbial Fuel Cell

Abstract

An attractive solution to the pressing issues of energy production and wastewater treatment are Microbial Fuel Cells (MFCs). The goal of this project was to build low-cost MFCs that harvest electricity and produce pure water from wastewater. MFCs were constructed from cheap alternatives to traditionally-used, expensive Nafion® membranes made by DuPont and platinum cathodes. Some alternatives used were household containers, Gore-Tex and agar for membranes, and metal screens for cathodes. Furthermore, a novel anode-membrane-cathode assembly design was shown to produce at least 4.33 times the amount of energy per dollar than the typical, current laboratory MFC.

Learning Experience

I learned several things from this project. The first was how widespread the problem of water sanitation actually is around the globe. The background research showed that new and improved energy and water techniques are needed to keep pace with growing demand. I worked at home and wanted to construct a Microbial Fuel Cell from readily available materials. This forced me to learn how to think creatively and adapt to resources at hand. Lastly, I gained a deeper understanding of how microbial fuel cells function and how this technology could help benefit the world as we move further into the 21st century.




Semi-finalist: SCOTT BETZ

Bellbrook, OH
Bellbrook High School

Project Title

Virtual Wiiality

Abstract

Fully functional virtual reality systems are not realistic for practical applications such as video gaming and architectural modeling due to their astronomical prices. A cheaper and more accessible system was designed using all consumer electronics for less than $250 without sacrificing functionality. Virtual reality systems can incite more applications and markets when cheaper and more accessible. The system uses three Nintendo Wii remotes precisely tracking movements of infrared emitters on video glasses. Resultantly, the user can freely move within a small room and interact with the program. Virtual reality systems can be made cheaper. Future explorations include virtual reality systems using only internal sensors.

Learning Experience

For a few years I wanted to build a virtual reality system but had been unable due to lack of money and resources until I had the idea of using Wii remotes. In calculating the equations, I had to teach myself many math concepts, which built upon the math concepts I learned in school and thought I would never see them again. Since I had never taken a computer class, the programming presented an obstacle. I contacted a local computer programmer who contacted another out of excitement, and before I knew it I had a number of programmers teaching me how to write a program using my equations. Through this project I learned that nearly any idea can be realized regardless of how much education, money, and resource one lacks; the right blend of enthusiasm and determination is far more effective.