Calgary high school student takes top honours at Canada-wide science fair

It's an invention that could save lives in an emergency, and was created by a Calgary high school student.

Max Du — who attends Queen Elizabeth High School — was one of seven students to take top honours at the 2022 Canada-Wide Science Fair, the largest annual youth science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) event in the country.

Du created a medical drone that people can use in their own homes.

If a patient has a heart attack, the drone jumps into action, flying to the rescue.

It can administer medication and open doors for emergency crews, all while livestreaming video to paramedics.

Du was inspired to do something to improve low heart attack survival rates.

"My solution to this problem was to create a drone that was intelligent and can one, start rescue faster before an EMS arrives and two, to help save more patients home alone as well," Du said.

"So to do this, I made four design features which included locating and approaching patients in seconds … upstairs or downstairs, then delivering emergency medication to patients under surveillance with a pillbox and an intramuscular auto injection.”

There were 371 students entered this year's competition, held in New Brunswick.

Winners took home medals, awards and scholarships worth a total of about $1 million.