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Cedar Creek students present 'Octopi' octocopter after winning state Real World Design Challenge
Summary
Cedar Creek High School students presented 'Octopi,' an eight-motor drone they say can carry about 30 kg, fly roughly 90 minutes and travel about 93 km; the team won the New Jersey state round and will advance to the national and potentially international competition.
Cedar Creek High School students presented an eight-motor unmanned aerial vehicle they call “Octopi,” saying the design can carry roughly 30 kilograms, fly for about 90 minutes and has an estimated range near 93 kilometers.
The team — Michelle Nguyen, engineering lead; Francesca Francis, project lead and manager; and Ariel Neals, media and concept lead — told the Greater Egg Harbor Regional High School District board that Octopi, modeled in Fusion 360, meets and exceeds the competition criteria and helped the group win the New Jersey state round of the Real World Design Challenge. "We are the Real World Design Challenge team," Michelle Nguyen said during the presentation.
The students described Octopi as an octocopter with eight arms, motors and propellers. A student presenter said, "It is capable of carrying 30 kilograms, which is about 72 pounds of cargo. It can fly 90 minute flights, and it has an operating range of 93 kilometers." The team said their CAD images include parts lists and assembled views to show how components fit together.
Board members asked about the team's research methods. The students said they used online technical papers and master’s theses, mentor guidance and input from people who work at the Federal Aviation Administration. They also said they used a research tool called Perplexity to surface source-linked information. "A lot of our mentors also gave us a lot of resources, especially the people who work at the FAA," a student presenter said.
When asked about physical size, the presenting student said the drone measures about 3 meters by 3 meters from propeller tip to opposite propeller tip. The board member who introduced the presentations praised the students' public-speaking skills and congratulated them on their accomplishment.
The board approved the March 17 meeting minutes earlier in the agenda. No formal district action was taken on the project itself; the presentation was informational and the students were commended.
The team said they advanced from the state round and will participate in the national round’s timed presentation and question-and-answer format; finalists go on to an international final.
