Underwater seaweed drone and AI glasses win national and state tech awards

The annual competition encourages secondary school students across Australia to solve real-world problems using technology and their own ingenuity.

Haileybury students, Taj and Cooper, have won the National Final after also winning the Victorian Final in the Years 7 and 8 Division.

The creative duo designed a drone to protect seaweed which is capable of absorbing significant amounts of carbon dioxide. Sea urchins destroy this vital natural resource and the underwater drone designed by Cooper and Taj will detect where seaweed is under threat.

“Seaweed can be the crucial factor to help save the world from the extreme levels of carbon dioxide in our air – it can take in carbon dioxide quicker than most trees,” say the students.

Haileybury students took out the top three awards in the Victorian Finals in the Years 7 and 8 Division and also won the Young ICT Explorers Sustainability Prize.

Other winning Haileybury projects featured AI glasses that use a camera to recognise Auslan sign language and translate it that won second place. A game called Lift that helps young girls manage emotions and stress came third.

“In Lift, the player jumps around and occasionally answers questions that encourage them to think deeper about their feelings and how they can cope with negative emotions,” say Sherry, Elena, Ara, Zarah and Ella.

“At the end of the game the player will be given a file that includes all their answers. By recording and organising their thoughts and answers into a cohesive document, we hope to support girls in deal with stressful situations and problems.”

The Sustainability Prize was awarded to Haileybury students, Advait and Seyon, who are creating an AI system to scan discarded technology at recycling plants for lithium components that can be recycled.

The School has competed in the Young ICT Explorers awards since 2013 and has won 35 state awards and six national awards.

“We have many eager and curious minds driven by a desire to make the world a better place through technology. This mindset, combined with strong competition entries that reflect our students’ creativity and skills, has led to consistent success in the competition,” says Damien Del Vecchio, Coordinator of Digitech Explorers at Haileybury’s Keysborough campus.

“Students today are the future creators of technologies that will shape our world and I’m always amazed by the ingenuity of the young people at Haileybury. I love witnessing their ‘eureka’ moments – that point when their projects start to come together. Their creativity and determination inspire me every year.”