Courtney Hughes, 9, thought a shoe phone would be a great addition to the world’s rising cell phone addiction.
Her mother thought otherwise.
‘We wanted to make a shoe phone,? says Hughes, a member of the Engineerical Miracles Too robotics team. ‘My mom said no, the shoe was too dirty.?
While ‘footwear phones? may be a few years away, the area elementary students earned first place at a recent First Lego League Robotics Regional Competition, for their nanotechnology presentation of ‘smart shirt technology.?
The team, Engineerical Miracles Too, is made up of six area girls 9-years-old and coach, Kyle Hughes a math and technology teacher at the OSMTech Center in Clarkston. Together, they created their nanotechnology presentation and developed the idea of ‘smart shirt technology? which would use embedded computer screens to help people.
Each girl created one shirt presentation using a prototype of a real shirt that could be produced. The shirts were presented in a variety of ways, one girl created a shirt ideal for a mute person to use as a communication device. Another shirt was used as a memory device for shopping lists and other such notes, ideal for an elder person with limited memory.
The shirts would be made of more than one computer application and all wires and screens were to be embedded into the shirts.
The team placed first out of 26 teams many of them older, more experienced teams. In their first effort the team scored 320 points out of 400 without any extra challenges and advanced to the state tournament Level.
The State tournament took place Sat. Dec. 9 at the Novi Expo/Rock Financial Center. The girls placed just below the top half of the 60 state qualifying teams.
After researching the current status of smart shirt technology the girls discovered quantum computing would be the best way to make it all possible.
Combining their simple understanding of inventor Buckminister Fuller with their own creative and personal applications of nanotechnology, the girls created a winning development.
The team has presented their work to Belle Ann Elementary in Ortonville and many small groups in the community.
The six girls that make Engineerical Miracles Too include: Genna Scarborough, Courtney Hughes, Katie Clement, Margaret Michel, Monica Pittiglio, and Stephanie Campbell.
‘What they have learned in nanotechnology is amazing,? said team coach, Kyle Hughes. ‘I am so proud.?