For students born after the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, active shooter drills have become a routine part of growing up. Now, as young adults, many are questioning why this has to be their reality at all. U.Md. students used AI to detect weapons in schools

Solving that problem became the first goal of the University of Maryland’s xFoundry Xperience competition, which brings together students from different majors and disciplines — STEM and non-STEM — to solve complex, societal issues.

The program launched in early 2024 , and last month, a group of students who formed a company called DefenX were announced as the first winners. They’ll be getting a $250,000 prize to help launch their company.

Using camera systems already in place at schools, the students honed and traine

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