Community Corner

Upper St. Clair Senior's Projects Get National Attention

This week's Whiz Kid is Matt Vernacchia.

There's a device used in many science demonstrations and museums to demonstrate static electricity. It has a large, silver ball on top, and when you touch it, your hair stands straight up. 

The machine is called Van de Graaff generator. This week's whiz kid recently made one with products he found around the house, including a yoga band. And he did so over Christmas vacation...for fun.

If you don't think that is impressive, wait until you read what else Matt Vernacchia has created.

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Vernacchia caught the attention of Lynn Kistler, curriculum leader for the Upper St. Clair High School's science department, when he was a freshman.

"Like many other boys his age, Matt wanted to blow something up for the science fair. And I told him, 'No, you can't use gun powder.' Well, he found a way around it and made an air-powered grape launcher," Kistler said. "It was really impressive that he found a way to work around the restriction and build the air-powered launcher. It was so creative."

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Kistler recognized Vernacchia's talent and continued to encourage him throughout high school.

This weekend, Vernacchia is in California with four of his classmates and teacher Patricia Palazzolo for the Conrad Spirit of Innovation competition. proposal called the Perpetual Harvest Space Nutrition System. It's a bioreactor that will recycle human waste into food to help make a three-year trip to Mars possible.

"I've really enjoyed the team project," Vernacchia said. "It's been interesting to go down this innovative process. Everybody on the team has their own individual specialties that they bring to the project."

Although their aerospace invention has been Vernacchia's most enjoyable project, he said he's most proud of his creation called the IrisScribe.

The IrisScribe is a camera and a computer program that enables people with severe paralysis to type text by using eye movements.

"The camera identifies the center of  the eye and measures the distance from the center to the outer edge of the iris and therefore it can tell which way you are looking," Vernacchia explained.

By moving your eye in eight different directions, one can spell out a phrase, much like one can do with a text message. The computer system can also recognize a number of common phrases with the simple eye movements.

The high school senior got the IB computer science project idea after he spoke to his next door neighbor, who is an ICU nurse. She told him how hard it is for patients who are paralyzed or have a throat injury to communicate. However, communication is so critical in the first few days after an injury so doctors can make an appropriate diagnosis.

Vernacchia's project can solve the communication problem, and it is also affordable. The current machine used for patients to communicate costs thousands of dollars. And often, health insurance won't cover the price.

The IrisSribe would cost just 10 bucks.

"The error is still a bit too high," Vernacchia humbly said. "I'm going to work on bringing the error down this summer."

Before the summer begins, Vernacchia will be off to California again. This time he will bring his IrisScribe to the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair.

"If there was ever a student destined to be an engineer it's Matt," Kistler said. "The local hardware store must know him by first name."

Vernacchia laughed, and admitted he receives Home Depot gift cards from his parents.

"They're really supportive. My mom is a little annoyed that half of the kitchen counter is taken over by my algae farm right now," Vernacchia joked. "Aside from that they've really helped me pursue my interest."

Vernacchia was accepted to Massachusetts Institute of Technology and plans to study there in the fall. 

Make sure to remember the name Matt Vernacchia, because there's a good chance you'll be hearing it again in the future. 


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