Science project hits the target
Teenage sisters developed rifle measuring device
By the age of 11, sisters Sophie and Chloe Filion were already participating in local science fairs. One year older, Sophie got an early head start. But when Chloe turned 12, they took it up a science-notch, working as a team to create projects and compete at the national level.
For Sophie, it was a love of talking that drew her to science — specifically presenting and communicating ideas. A science fair was not a debate but an opportunity to show and prove the work, discuss problems and solutions and collaborate with the scientist world.
Chloe, on the other hand, loves the science. Researching, problemsolving, trying and learning new things, all in an effort to “make things better and just make a difference.”
After competing regionally and nationally, the Fenwick sisters are now heading to Los Angeles as part of the team representing Canada at the 2024 International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF), running May 11 to 17.
Youth Sciences Canada selected eight high school students to compete at the world’s largest pre-college STEM project competition, against 1,600 students from more than 80 countries.
In addition to presenting their independent research, young scientists and engineers will also compete for about $9 million in awards, prizes and scholarships.
Sophie, 16, and Chloe, 15— both students at Saint-Jean-de-Brebeuf in Welland — applied for the ISEF team but neither expected to hear back.
“So when we were told that we were selected, it was a moment of disbelief … it’s kind of unreal.”
Their project is called the Digital
Air Rifle Ballistic Measuring Device, inspired by their experience with Royal Canadian Air Cadets.
Both Sophie and Chloe are cadets with the 87 Eagle Squadron in Welland and members of the marksmanship team, with Sophie also on the 87 Eagle biathlon team.
The sisters help train younger cadets. In an attempt to improve their coaching skills, Sophie and Chloe began looking at how to detect faulty rifles.
Their device measures how fast a pellet travels to determine if there is low or high pressure — whether a pellet is travelling slow or fast — within the cylinder. From that, it automatically identifies which rifles are faulty or less consistent.
“There was one rifle that went out of commission during our test because it was so slow that one of the pellets got stuck and we had to send a second pellet through and that happened every 20 shots,” said Sophie.
“Cadets, when they use that rifle regularly thought nothing of it, but in reality, after using our device, we were able to see that this rifle is actually a really big safety hazard.”
The project also uses an accelerometer and a gyroscope, enabling them to measure force acted upon the device and the rotation involved. That helps to determine what the marksman is doing during a shot — moving forward or backward— and how to improve human mechanical error.
Chloe said the device has made a “big difference” at competition, improving marksman technique and detecting leaky rifles. It could have “an immense impact” nationally, she added, saving money for the Armed Forces by detecting a rifle that can be fixed “for less than $10, instead of spending hundreds of dollars.”
The project won a silver medal and youth Canadian Innovate Award at the 2023 Canada-Wide Science Fair. It also was named best in fair and won a gold medal at the 2023 Niagara Region Science and Engineering Fair.
Although ISEF is bigger than any science fair they’ve competed in, both believe their years of fair experience will help them prepare and know what to expect — particularly in speaking with judges.
“We’ve talked to biologists, we’ve talked to chemists, every type of scientists you can think of. So it’s well-prepared us for seeing what different types of questions we could get,” said Sophie.
“I love our science project, I love all the work we’ve put into it. I really love seeing us use it and talking to people so I’m really excited to show this project off and really demonstrate what an impact it can have on Canada and on this Olympic sport.”