Christopher Aring, a junior at Martha’s Vineyard Regional High School (MVRHS), this week represented Southeastern Massachusetts at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh, Pa., May 10 to 15. Almost 2,000 students from around the world presented their research over the course of the fair.
Chris qualified to compete in the international event after he claimed the top spot at the South Shore Regional Science Fair on March 14, the first Island student to do so.
His winning project was an augmented-reality sand table. The project allows users to manipulate sand to represent different topographical formations and to study how they are affected by changes, such as erosion and water, for example. A corresponding computer-engineering program projects the images and changes back onto the table in real time.
Chris and fellow students Nils Aldeborgh, Harrison Dorr, and Jared Koster recently competed in the Massachusetts State Science and Engineering Fair held at MIT in Cambridge, May 1 and 2. The MVRHS students competed with more than 300 students from across the state.
Chris received received second place for his augmented-reality sand table. In addition, he received the Harvard Press Book Award, a Science and Technology Award with an honorarium of $100, and the Frederick P. Fish Patent Award. Chris was recognized by the Executive Office of Energy and Environmental Affairs with a Secretary’s Award for Excellence, presented at a formal award ceremony at the Massachusetts State House.
Chris is the son of MVRHS English department chairman Dan Sharkovitz and Cynthia Aring of Ohio.