Right now, the prototype can fly only up to four feet high, though the addition of a small gasoline engine and a few other tweaks should enable it to fly up to 100 feet—high enough to scope out a 10-story building. A single operator can control the whole thing remotely while a 360-degree rotating camera sends real-time video back to a laptop receiver. “This could save lives,” says team member Brandon McWhinnie. WHAT’S NEXT Because the design was funded by the college, this class will pass the torch on to next year’s team, which will continue to work toward a fully functional product. Inventors: Christopher Alexander, Brandon MacWhinnie, Michael Manzione, Sonal Pujji and Juan Rodriguez School: Stevens Institute of Technology, Hoboken, N.J.
