Ranatra Fusca Winners

Ooh-Motional Vehicle, Division I
Scripps Miramar Ranch Library, California
The judging team was blown away by the team’s mechanical dragon that featured a series of spectacular special effects that were powered by an intricate system of pressurized air hoses mounted entirely within a realistic dragon’s head. The complex workmanship showed great risk-taking and creativity.

Ooh-Motional Vehicle, Division III
Georgia Military College Prep School, Georgia
This team showed exceptional creativity and risk-taking in creating an innovative, hands-free steering system.  Using only the slightest movements of his head, the driver could control the vehicle. This allowed the driver to use his hands to change the vehicle’s emotions and creatively enabled the team to perform multiple aspects of the solution at the same time.

To Be or Not To Be, Division I
Forestville Elementary School, Virginia
This team exhibited risk-taking by creatively incorporating the team members’ body positions to extend and support their spontaneous solution--even lifting one team member completely off the ground for an extended period of time. This allowed the team to reach its goal in a very unique way.

To Be or Not to Be, Division IV
Mt. Pleasant Lions Club Orange, North Carolina
The team created a life-sized alligator--complete with realistic ridges, terrifying teeth and shining-eyes–made only of cardboard.  The gait and gestures of the alligator were matched by larger-than-life, but anatomically accurate, frogs, turtles and a singing salamander. The group pulled these elements together with exceptionally choreographed teamwork.

You Make the Call, Division III
Cedar Crest High School, Pennsylvania
This team showed exceptional creativity with a seamless, captivating performance narrated by a single team member.  The narration was done in rhyme and it developed an atmosphere of anticipation. The team also had inputs that when put into a device produced a remarkable snowflake that turned into a creature.

You Make the Call, Division III
Hristos Giannopoulos, Connecticut
 This individual designed, built and programmed a complex device that was able to perform the team’s mathematical calculations.  The “trig-o-matic” used off-the-shelf components and custom programming to display complex mathematical transformations. And, just for fun, this creative and intricate device can also be used as an etch-a-sketch!