Three Chinese American high school students have made headlines with their exceptional achievement as part of their team, “FireWatch,” at the 2024 World Robot Olympiad (WRO) held in Puerto Rico from October 1 to 3. Competing in the Future Innovators Senior category, they clinched a second-place finish, making it the best result ever for a U.S. team in this division.
At the heart of the “FireWatch” project is a detachable AI brain module designed for drones, which assists firefighters in monitoring and alerting during the critical early stages of wildfires. This AI-driven solution allows the drone to patrol mountainous terrains, automatically detecting fire sources and issuing timely warnings to enhance early fire prevention efforts. The approach not only signifies a technological innovation but has also been validated through rigorous test flights and field trials.
The team comprises three students from Southern California: team leader and lead designer Evan Yu Girard-Sun, key member William Wu, and outreach coordinator Emily Zhang, representing Arcadia High School and Rancho Cucamonga High School. Through their cutting-edge AI project, they have showcased their technical talent on an international stage.
This year’s competition proved especially challenging. Teams had to demonstrate not only their technical innovation and the viability of their solutions but also assess the social impact, commercial applications, and scalability of their projects. The international judging panel meticulously scrutinized every detail to maintain fairness and competitiveness in the contest. “Connecting with so many talented peers from around the world was invaluable,” Evan shared. “These participants brought sharp market insights, strong technical backgrounds, and experienced coaching teams. It was inspiring to exchange creative ideas with like-minded individuals after going through multiple selection rounds.”
Balancing the demands of the competition with their high school studies hasn’t been easy for the “FireWatch” members. They have committed their spare time to extensive development and debugging sessions, and their diligence has culminated in international recognition for their innovative project. Looking ahead, they plan to refine their AI drone solution further and broaden its application to additional regions, aiming to enhance wildfire prevention and control efforts.
