A team of Capital Region BOCES students recently won medals in a green technology competition in Albany.
The aspiring engineers and technicians in the New Visions: Emerging Technologies program designed, built and raced a hydrogen car during a recent competition that featured students from high schools across the state, a team of SUNY students and a team affiliated with the Rochester Institute of Technology.
BOCES teacher Brian Conway said his students won two medals – claiming first prize in the promotional category and second prize in the endurance race.
Captained by Schenectady High School junior Arron Scott, the Capital Region BOCES team, which billed itself as “E-Tech”, lasted 164 laps in the endurance competition, coming in second to a car that lasted 171 laps, Conway said.
Designed and constructed by the Emerging Technologies students, the car was powered by 10 HYDROSTIKS of hydrogen gas and two NiMH batteries.
“The students had to consider physics, use engineering practice to make improvements to the model car, collaborate, problem solve, strategize and race the car the most efficient way possible,” Conway said.
The early May competition was held on the former College of St. Rose campus and was sponsored by Plug Power and Center for Economic Growth NY.
Besides Scott, representing Capital Region BOCES in the competition were:
- Dillon Harlow, from Shenendehowa
- Kwasi Leitch, from Schenectady
- Ezekiel Sahai, from Schenectady
- Krishna Wright, from Schenectady
Launched in September, the New Visions: Emerging Technologies program was developed in collaboration with industry leaders Plug Power and the New York Center for Research, Economic Advancement, Technology, Engineering and Science (NY CREATES).
Through the program, students gain hands-on experience and theoretical knowledge in advanced manufacturing, mechanical and electrical systems, hydrogen safety and semiconductor processes. The program covers key topics such as fuel cell systems, pneumatics, automation, cleanroom protocols and troubleshooting techniques.
The program is designed to ensure students gain cutting-edge skills and real-world insights, preparing them for immediate employment or for state-of-the-art apprenticeship programs in the industries.