Four teens from the North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics in Durham earned the top spot at the world's largest environmental sustainability competition for teenage students after creating a revolutionary web-based app with "the potential for wide and scalable global impact."
Shubhan Bhattacharya, George Cheng, Sumedh Kotrannavar, and Reichen Schaller collaborated on a project called FloodGate, a computational tool that generates an interactive 3D model to predict flood patterns, Wake Living reported.
"FloodGate uses a weighted cellular automaton to mimic water flow in different elevations so that we can predict where the water will go in case of a large flooding event," Kotrannavar explained to the outlet. "Think about it like pouring water down a volcano; where the water will land is something we are trying to predict."
The flood prediction and warning technology could help governments and individuals prepare for evacuation, mitigate damages, and improve response times for relief operations.
The FloodGate team took inspiration from its home state — one that experiences inundation just over once a week. According to North Carolina Flood Insurance, the Tar Heel State could have a sea level rise of up to 4 feet by the end of the century because of Earth's overheating, affecting 76,000 residents living in coastal regions, 1.3 million acres, $8 billion of property, and 2,500 miles of road.
Furthermore, extreme weather events endanger around 240 million people worldwide each year, destroy infrastructure, and erode habitats. It's what influenced the name of the tech, as the group believes it serves as a computational gate that can block surging waters and protect communities.
Their efforts helped them win first place in The Earth Prize in June, beating out contestants from over 900 schools around the world. It's a remarkable achievement, especially considering they were all "complete strangers" a year ago, per Cheng.
The cohort plans to release an alpha version of the software to test and improve the system for utilization in high-risk areas. It will also incorporate artificial intelligence and machine learning to develop the tool into a simple and effective resource for everyone to use.
"For me, this win symbolizes how through effective collaboration and drive we can achieve real and lasting results," Schaller told Wake Living. "It also serves as an excellent springboard into the field of climate change and provides us a clear path to bettering the world."
"Winning The Earth Prize competition was really an amazing moment for us. Since our win, we have been provided with incredible opportunities by The Earth Prize team, and it's really been a gateway into pursuing further environmental work," Bhattacharya added.
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