Last week, junior Shanuak Sinha won the grand prize in energy at the regional science fair, moving on to the international fair in Atlanta, Georgia this May.
His project, PAMN, is a novel cooperative modular neural network to accurately predict and optimize electrical energy within Heaving Point Absorbers.
Sinha started the project in September of last year, right after the fair was introduced in his science class
“I wanted to utilize my skills in computer science and machine learning and apply it to a distinct field of science, hence wave energy,” Sinha said. “I chose to do wave energy because it is relatively new and there hasn’t been much growth and development within the field as compared to other types of renewable energy sources like wind and solar energy.”
Sinha said he enjoyed seeing other projects at the science fair out of interest, and validation for his own achievements.
“Competing in the science fair was probably the most fun part for me, obviously because I won but also because I was able to compete against other projects that were mindblowing and hold my ground and prove that my research project was as good and significant as them” Sinha said.
If driven by passion and skill, Sinha believes any student can mirror the success he has attained.
“I know a lot of smart freshmen and sophomores and I think that if any of them choose a research project that they are passionate enough about and align with their skills, they can achieve the same awards and success that I have gotten,” Sinha said.
Sinha strives to bring home an award for Marshall in May, and meet new people along the way.
“I feel extremely excited about the fair,” said Sinha. “Not only do I get the chance to compete in-person in Atlanta for my project but I also get to interact with other students from across the globe and learn about their projects as well.”