Michelle Nguyen leads team to win New Jersey Real World Design Challenge state round

The Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District Board of Education meeting on April 14, 2025, featured a presentation from the Real World Design Challenge team, highlighting their recent achievements and innovative project. The team, consisting of engineering lead Michelle Nguyen, project lead Francesca Franzozi, media lead Ariel Neals, and business lead Arjun Sarkar, along with their coach, Mrs. Martinelli, and mentors, Mrs. Jeannie Bridal and Mr. Matthew Mariani, shared their journey in tackling a significant engineering challenge.

The Real World Design Challenge is an annual competition that encourages students to apply classroom lessons to real-world problems. This year, the team focused on the pressing issue of wildfires, which have devastated millions of acres and caused extensive damage. Their task was to design an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) capable of transporting critical supplies efficiently.

The team successfully won the state round of the competition, outperforming 15 other teams in New Jersey, which qualified them for the national and international rounds in Washington, D.C. Their project, named "Octopi," is an octocopter drone featuring eight arms, motors, and propellers. It can carry up to 30 kilograms (approximately 72 pounds) and has a flight range of 93 kilometers (about 60 miles), exceeding the competition's requirements.

During the presentation, the team explained their design process, which included using CAD software, Fusion 360, to create detailed models of their drone. They also prepared a comprehensive notebook documenting their research and innovative solutions, which was a critical component of their evaluation.

The meeting concluded with an invitation for questions, indicating the team's readiness to engage with the board and share further insights into their project. This presentation not only showcased the students' technical skills but also highlighted the importance of addressing real-world challenges through innovative engineering solutions.