A group of students led by Michael Eilertsen at Snowflake Junior High School have been selected as one of the top 10 finalists in the national Samsung Solve for Tomorrow competition.
Two months ago the students won the state competition and moved on to compete with 51 other teams nationally where they were selected as part of the final 10.
Eilertsen’s class decided on a concept that creates a low-cost solution for decreasing collisions with wildlife, a common problem in rural areas.
According to Eilertsen, the 10” tall units are designed so that an animal approaching the road is detected with an infrared motion sensor, triggering a solar-powered motion light that blinks. This, in turn, triggers wireless sensors in the nearby devices to begin flashing in a programmed pattern radiating from the original device that detected the animal to let drivers know there is wildlife in the vicinity.
As a National Finalist, the students will go to New York City to present project prototype in front of a live panel of judges, for a chance to be named a National Winner. If the students win the competition they will be awarded $50,000 in technology and have the opportunity to present their project at a national event.
Before the presentations in New York, the 10 national finalists are competing to become the Community Choice Winner. The Community Choice winner will receive an additional $20,000 in Samsung technology for their school plus a $15,000 donation to a nonprofit organization of its choice. The Snowflake team has chosen Phoenix Herpetological Society, a Scottsdale reptile sanctuary that also offers an array of science and wildlife conservation education programs.
To see a video of the student’s project go to You Tube and search Snowflake Junior High School, Arizona and vote for their project through Twitter at samsung.com/us/solvefortomorrow/home.html.
