josh wu | ← awards

science + engineering competitions
science fairs, olympiads, and engineering competitions — 2023–2025

waterloo wellington science & engineering fair
2025
Gold Medallion — Senior Engineering Division
WWSEF
Deepfake detection system using remote photoplethysmography (rPPG) and machine learning. Real human skin reflects subtle color changes due to blood flow — AI-generated faces don't. Achieved 94.81% accuracy distinguishing real from synthetic video. deepfake detection →
2024
Silver Medallion — Engineering Division
WWSEF
MedChip — a 3D-printed NFC medical emergency bracelet reducing production cost from $60 to $3.50 using commodity parts and open NFC standards. medchip →
western science olympics
2025
1st Place — Canada's longest range balloon-powered car
Western University
40 ft+ range achieved on a single balloon after three years of iterative CFD-guided aerodynamic design. Custom low-friction drivetrain and lightweight 3D-printed chassis. balloon car →
2024
3rd Place
Western University
Second year of iterative design — structural and drivetrain improvements over 2023.
2023
2nd Place
Western University
First year of competition. Established the baseline design that would be refined over three iterations.
wrdsb competitions
2023–2025
1st Place — WRDSB Electric Car Competition (3 consecutive years)
Waterloo Region District School Board
Led BCI Electric Car team to first place in 2025, 2024, and 2023. Served as Sponsorship Executive securing $3,000+ in team funding; built team website using Next.js; created professional sponsorship documentation in Figma.
2025
1st Place — MechMania WRDSB Robotics Competition
Waterloo Region District School Board
Led Bluevale Collegiate to first-time participation and first place finish at the district robotics competition.