Roop Pal, a freshman at High School North, is leading a high-tech initiative in the community that will impact non-profits and global communities. A group of young students with a passion for innovation and exploration in STEM subjects are involved with PicoSatellite eXploration Lab to delve into the problem of integrating EEG and small satellite technologies.
“I indulge my interest in STEM by studying algorithms, working on PSXL, programming for my high school’s FIRST Robotic Club, along with being involved in a variety of other STEM-related groups,” says Pal.
“I am developing PSXL, an organization that aims to design satellites that can ultimately assist in the proliferation of extremely affordable satellites with radical input technologies and many significant applications, starting out with a mind-controlled picosatellite,” says Pal. “I plan to ultimately use these technologies to enable innovative solutions for disaster-management, remote sensing, and communications.”
The club explores STEM technologies to help solve complex problems. “We experience the thrill of being able to innovate and improve existing EEG and satellite technologies, which has the potential to greatly affect the world positively,” says Pal.
“PSXL’s objective is to launch a satellite controlled by our brains,”says Pal. “The prospect of controlling the actions of a hunk of metal 200 to 500 miles away is nothing short of exhilarating. While the functions of the satellite remain uncertain, its effect will be present regardless.”
Brice Huang, 17, a student at High School North, received the second place medal of distinction for basic research at the Intel Science Talent Search 2015, a pre-college math and science competition hosted by the Intel Foundation. The competition challenges young innovators to use their science and math knowledge to create technology or come up with a solution to a problem that will benefit the public at large.
Huang was one of 40 high school students nationwide who traveled to Washington, D.C., in March to compete for the nine top awards. The finalists presented their research to judges, met national leaders, interacted with scientists, and put their research on display at the National Geographic Society.
Huang’s project, “Monomization of Power Ideals and Generalized Parking Functions,” expanded on existing mathematical research on power ideals. He was one of three second-place winners to receive $75,000.
