Students including a team from Western Wayne High School recently put their engineering skills, creativity, and problem-solving abilities to the test at the Wallenpaupack Engineering Competition, where teams designed and built devices inspired by real-world drone pickup and delivery technology.
The challenge required students to construct a device that could be operated while being held by a single string. The device had to pick up, transport, and release objects of various shapes, sizes, and weights. Items included Styrofoam balls, cylinders and cones, a toy car, a wooden block, a golf ball, and a baseball.
Working with a limited supply of materials, including plastic tubs, popsicle sticks, tape, string, and paper clips, students used a variety of tools to bring their designs to life. Teams had to think critically, experiment with different approaches, and make adjustments to improve their devices’ performance. The goal was to successfully pick up and transport as many objects as possible.
The overall winning team from Western Wayne consisted of Hunter Burry, Makenzie Chearney, Eric McGrath, Shin-Cheon Moon, and Cameron Press. In addition to winning the overall team competition, the students earned both the Innovator Award and the Million Dollar Idea Award, recognizing their success and creativity throughout the challenge.
Another Western Wayne team also participated in the competition, consisting of Olivia Moyer, Christopher Pane, Evan Gallagher, Ben McCleland, and Kyle Matthews. Their participation provided another opportunity for students to apply engineering concepts, collaborate with teammates, and develop solutions to a hands-on design problem.
The Wallenpaupack Engineering Competition challenged students to do more than build a device. It encouraged them to apply engineering principles, test their ideas, overcome design obstacles, and work together toward a common goal. These experiences help students develop valuable skills in innovation, critical thinking, collaboration, and real-world problem-solving.
Congratulations to Hunter Burry, Makenzie Chearney, Eric McGrath, Shin-Cheon Moon, and Cameron Press on their outstanding achievement, and congratulations to all students who participated in this engaging engineering challenge!
From left: Cameron Press, Hunter Burry, Makenzie Chearney, Shin-Cheon Moon, and Eric McGrath.
