Ducking from flying paper airplanes and watching enthusiastic campers moving from station to station, it’s obviously Robotics Discovery Day at Robbinsville High School. This annual event, which took place on December 1st and 2nd, is incredibly popular amongst elementary-age students. It continues to remain successful, with all of the campers truly enjoying their experiences. 2018’s Discovery Day served as a great learning opportunity that allowed the young students to test their technical skills while solving open ended challenges while having fun.

The campers were tasked with building a paper airplane launcher. They experimented with different types of motors to create a design to launch their airplanes the farthest. Winners were based off of the longest glide time or the longest distance covered. Some airplanes flew as far as 60 feet! Campers also used LEGO Mindstorms to create a robot that participated in a tug of war battle or climbed an inclined plane.

Paired into groups of two or three, student teams worked with a high school mentor. Utilizing their creativity and mechanical skills, campers needed to be able to differentiate between sizes of gears in order to create a successful launcher design. Student mentors were incredibly impressed with the way campers faced obstacles. Anushka Pillay, a first-year student mentor whose team’s airplanes launched the farthest distance, noted, “The kids came up with innovative solutions to all of the problems they faced. Even though they were not very familiar with LEGO Mindstorms, they were still able to build a launcher with a creative design.”

Not only did the campers experiment with different motors, gears and designs, but they also worked together as a team. Cooperating with team members was essential to success, and campers were able to practice team-building skills throughout the event. Ritika Bhatnagar, a freshman on Nemesis, observed the excellent teamwork of her campers saying, “It was so cool watching them work together. They collaborated on ideas together and helped each other out.”

In addition to completing the challenges, campers took part in entertaining activities such as driving Nemesis’ mighty robot, Fury, and learning about the First Lego League (FLL). The FLL teams sparked interest in STEM by providing the campers with an in-depth explanation of their challenges. Campers also participated in a demonstration of the captivating humanoid NAO Robot.

The activities of Robotics Discovery Day had a wonderful impact on the campers. Swapna, a fourth-grade camper, exclaimed, “Discovery Day was so fun! I loved building the robots and launching the paper planes! Driving Fury was one of my favorite parts too. I really want to do robotics now because it seems so interesting!”

Thank you to those who participated! We hope to see you next year!

We would love to thank our sponsors. We can’t do it without you!  Navair, Robbinsville High School, Picatinny Arsenal, Lockheed Martin, DoDStem, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CCL Label, Investors Foundation, New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists, Robbinsville Education Association, Sharbell Development, RAS, Robbinsville Education Foundation, Princeton Sports and Family Medicine, EAG Laboratories, DesignTree, CCC, Gilbane, Triangle Copy, SkyLink Technology, Inc., Coldwell Banker, and the family and friends of Nemesis.

There was certainly no excitement spared today as Nemesis’s Fury participated in its final event of the year. Hosted by Raider Robotix at North Brunswick High School with over forty-two teams gathered from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, it provided a competitive atmosphere as teams competed for the penultimate off-season event of the year. Scouts watched diligently throughout each match, carefully jotting down notes and comments on every robot competing, aware of how decisive scouting is and how large a role it plays during alliance selections. After Nemesis finished the 18th edition of Ramp Riot as finalists last week, the team was fired up and ready to cap the season off with a top podium finish at Brunswick Eruption.

Through tough qualification rounds Nemesis rose from being ranked 23rd to ranked 3rd over the course of one match before finally finishing as the fourth seed. During alliance selection Nemesis was offered a spot alongside second seed FRC 271, Mechanical Marauders, but respectfully declined the offer. During the duration of the serpentine draft, Nemesis invited teams FRC 1089, Team Mercury, and FRC 5421, Birch Bots, to join their alliance. Nemesis’s alliance won through a third game tiebreaker against the fifth seed alliance; teams FRC 5599, The Sentinels, FRC 395, 2 Train Robots, and FRC 2601, Steel Hawks.

Unfortunately, Nemesis exited the tournament after a narrow defeat to the first seed alliance. With Brunswick Eruption marking the end of the 2018 competition season for Nemesis, many of the returning members reflected on what was one of the team’s most successful years in history. “In the end it’s all about teamwork and we worked the best we can and no matter the outcome. It’s not whether or why we lost it’s a matter of how we banded together as a family and that’s what FIRST is all about” said Harsh Padhye the Chief of Software.

Brunswick Eruption and Ramp Riot, however, were more than just the robots and accolades. These past two events also saw Nemesis try out candidates for the upcoming season’s drive team. With both drivers, Alex Keller and Nolan Quon, performing phenomenally throughout the qualification and elimination rounds it was unfortunate that Nemesis was unable to bring home the top prize in the past weeks. It was also during these events that seniors Richa Mandrekar, Chinmay Savanur, and Rahul Sawant were given the opportunity to try their hand at drive coaching. In addition, notable alumni such as Dahany Choi and Connor Hofenbitzer came out and showed their support for the team and demonstrated how once you’re a Nemesis team member, you’re always a Nemesis team member. The brand new leadership team felt more confident having alumni enthusiastically around the stands and pits, advising the new drive team, as well as pitching in during the strategy meetings.

What’s important to gather from these off-season events isn’t necessarily the competition results. It is about how the new members are transitioning into their new roles on the team. As Mr. Wolfe, team advisor, describes it, “We have participated in the most off-season events since the inception of the team; Brunswick Eruption, Ramp Riot, Midnight Mayhem, winning Girl Power and Havoc respectively, following on the heels of an awesome season. The high level point of that was that it allowed a large amount of underclassmen the opportunity to be on the drive team. The whole point of the off-season is to have fun and try out for the drive team.”

The drive team isn’t the only area of the team that seems to be thriving this year; the new pit team is assimilating remarkably well. “The newer people have been responding amazingly. We had a couple of tight spots these past few weeks and the team rose to the occasion and got it done. Especially last week was particularly tough with the smaller 4x8 pit with little space and they adapted well”, according to mentor Dr. Keller.

As the door closes on a historic season for Nemesis another door full of opportunities opens wide. With so much potential and a new team brimming with talent, only the sky's the limit for this new 2019 Nemesis team.

Nemesis would like to thank their sponsors: Navair, Robbinsville High School, Picatinny Arsenal, Lockheed Martin, DoDStem, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CCL Label, Investors Foundation, New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists, Robbinsville Education Association, Sharbell Development, RAS, Robbinsville Education Foundation, Princeton Sports and Family Medicine, EAG Laboratories, DesignTree, CCC, Gilbane, Triangle Copy, SkyLink Technology, Inc., Coldwell Banker, and the family and friends of Nemesis.

As we begin to prepare for the upcoming season, Robbinsville’s FIRST Robotics Team, Nemesis, hosted its annual Nemesis Engineering Day. Spanning two days and four different sessions, the half-day day camp resulted in overwhelmingly positive feedback. Students entered their sessions eager to learn and ready to build.

Nemesis had the goal of educating Robbinsville’s youth on civil engineering through engaging challenges while also maintaining a friendly environment for everyone. The campers were paired in groups of two or three and assigned a high school mentor to support them while they constructed a straw bridge designed to support heavy weights. Shweta Raman, who’s in her first year on Nemesis, noted “They partnered up and got to work with a lot of excitement and passion.”

Similar to being a professional civil engineer, the students innovated in hopes of surpassing the requirements. Specifically, each team needed to enhance a truss bridge’s design in order to hold the most weight. Nemesis photographer, Madhu Seshadri, exclaimed, “Taking photos of the students’ concentrated and determined faces was so much fun. They were all so nice!”

Efficiency and quality were major factors in how each team placed on the leaderboard. Ritika Bhatnagar, a freshman, acknowledged the resilience of her campers saying, “Even though the students came in last place, instead of giving up, they wanted to do better.” Such feelings were not uncommon to the campers, all of them did their best.

Students enjoyed a virtual simulated bridge design program, a demonstration of the NAO Robot, and driving Nemesis’ 2018 award winning competition robot, Fury. These demonstrations ignited campers’ passions for STEAM and resulted in rave reviews.

Nemesis Engineering Day provided a great learning experience for the campers. The weekend was an overwhelming success allowing Nemesis team members not only the opportunity to spread the FIRST message and their love of STEAM, but also to raise funds to support Nemesis Cares and Shares, Nemesis’ community outreach programs.

Thank you to all that attended! We hope to see you next year!

Nemesis would like to thank their sponsors: Navair, Robbinsville High School, Picatinny Arsenal, Lockheed Martin, DoDStem, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CCL Label, Investors Foundation, New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists, Robbinsville Education Association, Sharbell Development, RAS, Robbinsville Education Foundation, Princeton Sports and Family Medicine, EAG Laboratories, DesignTree, CCC, Gilbane, Triangle Copy, SkyLink Technology, Coldwell Bankers, and the family and friends of Nemesis.

The sun shined bright on a beautiful day in Indianapolis, Indiana. The air smelled of corn and competition. On July 12, 2018, seventy teams from all over North America converged upon the Indiana Robotics Invitational hosted by FRC teams; 234, 45, and 1024. Robbinsville High School’s FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Team 2590, Nemesis, attended with high spirits after being finalists at the Tesla Division at the FIRST World Championship held in Detroit in April. The 2018 challenge, FIRST Power Up, was an arcade based game. In this game, opposing alliances stacked crates on switches and a scale to gain ownership. During endgame, robots would climb up the scale. Nemesis tried to beat the boss using their precisely engineered “wings” to lift two robots and themselves up the scale.

As qualification matches began, Nemesis struggled to adjust to the new drive team members. However, after a few matches, the team gained control once again. In the stands, Nemesis worked with other teams from the Mid-Atlantic Region (MAR) to scout competing teams. Strategy team member, Chinmay Savanur said “Collaborating with other MAR teams gave us a sense of unity throughout the competition.”

On day two of the event, teams finished qualification matches and started alliance selections. At rank 18, Nemesis was picked by the seventh alliance with FRC 1024 Kil-A-Bytes, FRC 225 TechFire, and FRC 868 TechHOUNDS. During the lunch break, members from all four alliances strategized for their upcoming matches.

Nemesis and its alliance partners flew through elimination matches undefeated, beating some of the best teams at the event. When the final matches began, the energy of the event was at an all time high. Build team member, Kavya Velliangiri exclaimed, “The energy at the competition was indescribable! The sound of teams cheering filled the gym with excitement.”

The first of three finals matches started with Nemesis and the rest of the Blue Alliance in the lead. With two minutes to go, TechFire’s robot tipped over onto the field. The Blue Alliance found it close to impossible to maintain their lead in the two versus three robot situation. The Red Alliance caught up and won the match with a score of 328 to 387.

Finals two began with a slight advantage towards the Red Alliance. The Blue Alliance started accumulating points at a rate of 2/second and gained the lead. The announcer struggled to keep up as the scale tipped back and forth. With thirty seconds left, Nemesis lifted the Kil-A-Bytes onto the scale but were brought back down. “3, 2, 1” the crowd chanted in anticipation. Nemesis and the Kil-A-Bytes climbed the scale earning the Blue Alliance enough points to play one more match. “And the winner of Finals two is… the Blue Alliance!” The crowd roared.

As Europe’s, “The Final Countdown” played in the background, Finals three began. The Red Alliance quickly gained ownership of their switch and their scale. Nemesis and its alliance fought to change that. The scale soon tipped in the Blue Alliance’s favor. With TechFire and Nemesis stacking cubes on the scale, the Kil-A-Bytes focused on the exchange zone. With 100 seconds left, the two alliances were at an exact tie. As endgame approached, Nemesis let down its wings. Both TechFire and the Kil-A-Bytes climbed on. Five seconds left. Nemesis pulled all three robots up onto the scale. The crowd went wild! “3, 2, 1,” the gymnasium yelled.

The Blue Alliance huddled together while judges deliberated. “The winner of the Indiana Robotics Invitational is… the Red Alliance!” When the final score of 396 to 399 was announced, Nemesis celebrated the amazing matches they played throughout the invitational. Rising junior, Connie Mehl explained, “It was an amazing experience. I could feel our team’s unity and support every match we played.”

Nemesis would like to thank their sponsors: Navair, Robbinsville High School, Picatinny Arsenal, Lockheed Martin, DoDStem, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CCL Label, Investors Foundation, New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists, Robbinsville Education Association, Sharbell Development, RAS, Robbinsville Education Foundation, Princeton Sports and Family Medicine, EAG Laboratories, DesignTree, CCC, Gilbane, Triangle Copy, SkyLink Technology, Coldwell Bankers, and the family and friends of Nemesis.

On June 12th, 2018, the typical elementary school class would be learning the last few subjects of the school year, as the students anxiously awaited summer.  For the students in Ms. Rosol’s and Mrs. Zaffarese’s classes at Sharon Elementary School that was not the case. They spent their last hour of the school day learning about the wonders and intricacies of Nemesis, Robbinsville High School’s FIRST Robotics team.  Earlier in the year, these same students marked themselves winners, collecting the largest amount of non-perishable food items for the annual Nemesis Food Drive. Thanks, in part, to their efforts and contributions, over 2,000 food items were donated to the Robbinsville Food Pantry.  As an extension of gratitude, a group of Nemesis teammates stopped by to give them a fun-filled afternoon.

Kicking off the event, Nemesis thanked the students for their amazing contributions.  Next, came the fun. The students could hardly contain their excitement as they watched Fury, Nemesis’ award winning robot in action.  Fury picked up blocks and lifted itself along with two high school students off of the ground; a feat that impresses people of all ages, and certainly left many younger students awe-inspired.   After the opening “ceremonies”, students were split up into four groups to learn about the different components of Nemesis. At one station teammates from the Build Team explained the design process, and discussed the previous years’ robots.  The Marketing Team presented how Nemesis spreads its name and message, and acquires the means and funding to support the team. Here the students received some very fashionable buttons and (non-permanent) tattoos. At the Software Team station, Nemesis students explained how they create a robot out of a bunch of metal pieces.  The students also watched in wonder as Nemesis’s humanoid Nao robot, sang, talked, and danced.

The event concluded with some great photo opportunities, followed by a meet-and-greet where the elementary students were able to talk to the high school students, and ask them questions.  After witnessing such an amazing demonstration of STEAM (Science Technology Engineering Art and Mathematics) the excitement and enthusiasm within the younger students was palpable. “Going around the room, and seeing each individual kid’s excitement for each station was really incredible.  It’s remarkable to see such an interest in STEAM at such a young age.” remarked Nemesis team member, Apoorva Savanur. With this fun-filled afternoon concluded, it is almost certain that Nemesis recruited a group of future team members. Team Nemesis would like to extend its gratitude to Sharon Elementary School for their support and partnership in the Food Drive.

The annual Nemesis Food Drive with Sharon Elementary School brought in over 2,000 non-perishable food items to support the Robbinsville Food Pantry.  On June 12, 2018, the classes with the largest amount of donations, Ms. Rosol’s and Mrs. Zaffarese’s classes, were awarded a demonstration by the Robbinsville High School robotics team, Nemesis.  Team members presented their award winning robot Fury, an introduction to the Build, Marketing and Software Teams, and their humanoid Nao robot. With this presentation, the excitement and enthusiasm of the younger students was palpable.  Students received buttons, (non-permanent) tattoos, and overall, a sense of wonder, as they enjoyed an afternoon full of STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Art, and Mathematics) based possibilities.

Snow flurries dusted the ground around Stabler Arena in Lehigh, PA, as Robbinsville High School’s FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Robotics Team 2590, Nemesis, clinched its second regional victory in what has been a stellar 2018 season. Ranked number one in the Mid-Atlantic Region for the second year in a row, Nemesis won their third Blue Banner of the season with alliance partners Team 225 Tech Fire from York, PA and Team 2016 The Mighty Monkey Wrenches from Ewing, NJ as the FIRST Mid-Atlantic Champions!

The 2018 FIRST Robotics Competition game challenge, FIRST Power Up, thrusts audiences head first into a vintage video game themed challenge. Robots represent game characters entrenched in a battle for dominance with power boosts and point bonuses to ultimately defeat the boss! This weekend, Nemesis competed against 59 other teams from Delaware, New Jersey, and eastern Pennsylvania at the FIRST Mid-Atlantic Championship. Local teams that competed include those from Allentown, Hamilton, Plainsboro, Ewing, Trenton, North Brunswick, Montgomery, Hightstown, and more. The competition consisted of 120 grueling qualification matches. Following alliance selection, where the top 8 ranked teams select two partners each, the top 24 robots battle through the playoffs. The prize for the winning alliance: a Blue Banner and a ticket to the FIRST Championship in Detroit, Michigan at the end of the month.

The competition commenced on a high note: Nemesis finished qualification matches with a record of 11-1, fearlessly defeating their opponents with their fluid driving and clever strategy. As the only team with the ability to lift both alliance partners and themselves using unique “wings” (steel beams upon which two other robots can rest), 2590 was evidently popular with the crowd. Every time Nemesis took to the field, the sea of red in the stands passionately showed their support with booming stadium shaking cheers. The Scouting Team diligently recorded statistics and performance data on every competing robot to pick the perfect alliance partner for elimination matches. The team retained their first place position throughout the competition, and Nemesis became the captain of the highest ranked alliance. With two excellent offensive teams and a formidable defense robot, this number one alliance was ready for playoffs.

Nemesis and their alliance partners battled undefeated through quarterfinals and semifinals, and the top two ranked alliances faced each other in the final rounds. After experiencing defeat during the first nail-biting finals match, Nemesis and their teammates were anxious and determined to come back. Winning the exhilarating second match, the two sides were now neck and neck. It all came down to the final tiebreaker. Deafening screams of support for both alliances rocked the stadium as the match began. The scale tipped back and forth, and the scores were unsettlingly close. Suddenly, Nemesis and their alliance pulled ahead. 5..4..3..2..1..0. They won! Celebrations began in the stands and down on the field as Nemesis shouted in delight, realizing they were once again the Mid-Atlantic Champions.

Pit Crew member Rahul Sawant effuses, “After the loss in the first finals match, watching us come together as a team to overcome the tough challenges was the greatest feeling ever.”

Nemesis also took home the Excellence in Engineering Award, which celebrates an elegant and advantageous machine feature. The team ranked number one overall in the Mid-Atlantic District, and will be competing at the FIRST Championship in Detroit at the end of the month.

Nemesis is grateful for the support of their community, and would like to thank their gracious sponsors: Robbinsville High School, Navair, DoDStem, Bristol-Myers Squibb, CCL Label, Picatinny Arsenal, New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists, Lockheed Martin, Robbinsville Education Association, Investors Bank, SkyLink Technologies, CCC, Sharbell Development, RAS, Robbinsville Education Foundation, Gilbane, Princeton Sports and Family Medicine, Triangle Copy, DesignTree, Coldwell Bankers, and Canine Services.

The speedy robot streaked across the field as it strategically placed power cubes onto the switch and the scale. The bell rang: time for the teleoperated period. The crowd cheered as the robot gained ownership of all three devices. The bell rang once more: endgame. The robot grew taller until it latched on to the metal rod. It let down its wings, allowing the other two robots to climb with it. Will they make it in time? The three robots climbed into the air with seconds to spare. The crowd went wild!

Easter weekend, Robbinsville High School's FIRST Robotics Team 2590, Nemesis, attended the FIRST Mid-Atlantic Hatboro-Horsham District Event. After a great win at the Hudson Valley Regional under their belts, Nemesis craved another victory. On Friday March 30th, Nemesis, along with 32 other FIRST Mid-Atlantic teams began the 64 qualification matches.

Behind the scenes members of the Marketing and Build Teams spoke with judges competing for business and technical awards. Alum Jenna Mollica visited the pits, reminiscing about her time on Nemesis.

Undefeated, Nemesis flew through qualification matches and earned the first ranked seed position. Nemesis invited the second ranked seed, FRC 25, Raider Robotix from North Brunswick NJ and FRC 6226, the Blue Devils from Burlington NJ, to join their alliance.

The Nemesis led alliance remained undefeated through quarter and semi finals. Final 1 commenced with the alliance gaining control of both switches and the scale. Throughout the match, the scale and switches continued to alternate between alliances. Finally, after the incredibly close match, the Nemesis and their alliance partners came out on top with a score of 259 to 244.

As Nemesis and their alliance prepared for the next match, the crowd waited in anticipation. “And the winner of Final 2 is… the Blue Alliance!” The Master of Ceremonies announced. Nemesis’ crowd of red sighed in disappointment. “One more match!” The drive team chanted, raising the crowd’s spirit. “3, 2, 1. Power Up!” Nemesis’ robot, Fury, raced across the field as the alliance gained control of our switch and the scale. As endgame began, Fury let down its award winning wings as FRC 6226 drove on. Earning 60 points for the red alliance, Fury climbed the scale and beat the boss! The crowd roared, and Nemesis took home their second blue banner of the season.

The ending of the event left everyone on the edge of their seats. Freshman build member, Kavya Velliangiri said, “The final nerve wracking feeling as the end result screen was displayed was something I won’t ever forget.”

The excitement didn’t conclude with the matches. Nemesis was presented with the Industrial Design Award, which celebrates form and function in an efficiently designed machine that effectively addresses the game challenge. The team hopes to keep the momentum of their season going as they compete at the FIRST Mid-Atlantic District Championship!

The crowd watched anxiously as the final scores appeared on the screen.  “And defeating the boss… is the red alliance!” That was it. 18-0-0. After 18 dramatic and exhilarating matches, Robbinsville High School FIRST Robotics Team FRC 2590, Nemesis,  along with alliance partners FRC 1796, RoboTigers from Long Island City, and the FRC 6401, Clarkstown North 8-Bit Rams from New City, NY left the Hudson Valley Regional victorious. Cheers of elation coursed through the Rockland Community College fieldhouse during the weekend of March 23rd - March 25th. The victory at the regional event qualified the winning alliance to compete at FIRST Championship in Detroit this April.  

Nemesis joined 39 other teams at the regional event in Suffern, NY which including teams from Canada, the Dominican Republic, and Paraguay. After finishing the Bridgewater-Raritan District Event as finalists, Nemesis was back and hungry for success.

It took a full team effort to win the event, from the drive team’s (Jared Miller, Dahany Choi, Alex Keller, and Mariko McMurtry) performance under pressure, to the pit crew (Matthew Began, Richa Mandrekar, Nolan Quon, and Rahul Sawant) who speedily repaired the robot after each match, and the scouts (led by Chinmay Savanur, Harsh Padhye, and Bhargavi Lanka) who charted every robot’s performance and worked around the clock to determine which robots would join Nemesis’ alliance.

By the end of all 80 qualification matches, Nemesis sat in first place with an average of 3.33 out of 4 ranking points per match. Meanwhile, in the pits, Nemesis’ marketing team (Jarelle Boac, Likhitha Patlolla, Ethan Silberberg, Julia Ruch, Nick Anderson, Josh Lichtenstein, and Rebekah Rahman) impressed the judges with their world-class business plan and presentation skills.

During alliance selection, Nemesis chose FRC 1796, the RoboTigers, and FRC 6401, the Clarkstown North 8-Bit Rams, to join them in battling the boss. The crowd cheered in either triumph or agony for their robot to make it to the next round. As one side of the scale lowered, one side of the gym erupted, and when an opposing robot countered, the other side of the fieldhouse equaled their excitement.  The energy in the room continued throughout 13 electric quarterfinal and semifinal matches.

During the first finals match, Nemesis and the red alliance put forth a dominant performance.  They controlled the scale throughout the match, placed 6 cubes into the vault and received 65 points for their endgame climb, adding up to a 435 - 232 win. The red alliance once again kept strong control of both the switch and the scale during the second finals match. The red alliance achieved all 90 endgame points, paving the way for a 413-322 win and an undefeated  Hudson Valley regional victory.

Not only did Nemesis walk away from Suffern, NY as victors with a secured ticket to FIRST Championship, but they also won the Excellence in Engineering award, which recognizes a unique and exemplary feat of engineering, impressing the judges with distinct robot-carrying wings, efficient intake, and a dual elevator.

After their success at the Hudson Valley Regional event, Nemesis hopes to continue improving at their next events, the Hatboro-Horsham District Event, and FIRST Mid-Atlantic District Championship.

Robbinsville High School’s FIRST Robotics Team 2590 Nemesis went global.

Sponsoring a fun and exciting engineering experience in Haiti over the holidays, Nemesis shared their love of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) with the House of Hope Orphanage. Who would have thought that a high school club could make a significant educational impact in a developing country?

Nemesis alumna, Jolia Thadal, currently studying at the Rochester Institute of Technology, joined the New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists (NYSCC) on a mission trip she co-organized to the House of Hope. The small but mighty orphanage cares for over 70 orphaned and abandoned children and simultaneously operates a K-13th grade school program where all expenses are covered by public donations.

On behalf of Nemesis, Thadal hosted an engineering camp modeled after Discovery Day, a highly successful day camp held annually at Robbinsville High School where children learn about the engineering design cycle through open ended challenges. Nemesis, the technology sponsor of the trip, supplied the resources and training needed to engage 43 children from both the orphanage and surrounding areas. Through the camp, entitled “Discover Engineering: Let’s Build and Be Creative!”, Haitian children were exposed to basic engineering principles in a fun and collaborative environment. Utilizing their creativity and problem solving skills, the campers worked in small teams to address engineering challenges.

The day camp was a massive success: the children treasured their experiences, as well as the t-shirts, hats, and goody bags that Nemesis provided. Robbinsville High School could not be prouder of Thadal and the team for their success in inspiring future generations outside of United States to develop a passion for STEM.

When asked about her experience, Thadal gushed, “I have traveled worldwide for many different reasons, but this trip was certainly one of the best experiences of my life. I was touched by the effort exercised by all the children to complete their projects.”

Nemesis is eternally grateful for their sponsors’ support of the team’s goal to mold the future STEM leaders of the world: Robbinsville High School, NAVAIR, CCL Label, Lockheed Martin, Investor’s Bank, NYSCC, Triangle Copy, Robbinsville Education Association, Robbinsville Education Foundation, RAS, McGraw-Hill Financial, Design Tree, and Knowledgent. Sponsors, family and friends are welcome to come out to Hatboro-Horsham High School for our first District Event on March 2nd through 4th. Admission is free.

Another build season has finally arrived! After attending kickoff, Nemesis headed back to the RHS Tech Lab to discuss game analysis. We became familiar with the game field and rules for FIRST POWER UP. Both build and marketing students were able to participate in brainstorming, coming up with different ideas for all the subsystems. We focused on the ability to place power cubes on both the switch and the scale, which would be strategically beneficial. We also focused discussion on climbing. After hours of discussion we split into smaller groups to begin prototyping. The upperclassmen guided the underclassmen, turning sketches and ideas into working designs. Subteams worked on creating elevators to be able to reach the scale, fabricating a climber, and constructing multiple intake systems. This allowed all of the underclassmen to work hands-on with a variety of tools on their prototypes.

For our climber, we want a durable locking system to prevent us from falling. Subteams created a hook to grab onto the rung using pneumatics in ways that would be strong enough to support our robot. Although it isn’t as strong as we wished, we are still refining it in hopes to reach our goal.

The intake subteams have combined prototypes for the most efficient design. Using a combination of wheels and bands, we are able to pick up the power cube and securely hold it as the elevator rises, either to place the cube on the switch or the scale.

The elevator subteam has constructed two designs; a cascading and a scissor elevator. When tested to see which one is more effective, the cascading elevator proved to be the winner.

We decided on a 6 wheel west coast drive train with no drop center. The front and back will be curved up to allow out robot to drive onto the platform. In the upcoming week we will continue to improve and finalize these prototypes. We are all excited to see everything come together.

Get ready to build robots! The annual FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) game competition has begun. The game brings great joy and excitement to hundreds of thousands of high school students in real time all around the world, including the Robbinsville High School FIRST Robotics Team 2590, Nemesis.

Well over 400 students from several local teams including Robbinsville, Montgomery, Hamilton, The Peddie School, Hightstown, and many more from Mid-Atlantic Robotics had the opportunity to attend robot themed seminars prior to kickoff. The students chose from gearboxes and transmissions, sensors, pneumatics, and Autodesk Inventor, (computer aided design software) among others. These seminars supplied students with the preliminary knowledge needed to tackle the challenges of the 6 week build season. Finally, it was time for the moment that all FIRST Robotics Challenge (FRC) enthusiasts around the world were waiting for: the reveal of the FRC challenge.

The students settled into the auditorium. As the clock counted down the moments until the big reveal, the excitement was overflowing inside the auditorium. Prior to the reveal, a representative from Picatinny Arsenal, Shah Dabiri, came onto stage and spoke inspirational words about the children of today, and the hope we have for the future. His words definitely spread the message of STEAM and FIRST to the young engineers and future business leaders sitting in the audience. 0:03, 0:02, 0:01, 0:00. The lights dimmed while deafening applause traveled through the auditorium. The presentation had begun and wonderstruck students gazed upon the screen. FIRST Power Up has arrived.

Alliances of 3 teams each are trapped in a nostalgic video arcade game, where the field consists of 1 scale located in centerfield and 1 switch on each end. Power cubes are used to control the balance of the scale and switches and can be found throughout the field.  For every second a scale/switch is tipped in one alliance’s favor , that alliance gains 1 point. During the 15 second autonomous mode, the robots are operated with the use of pre-programmed instructions; anytime the scale or switch is set in an alliance’s favor, that alliance earns 2 points per second. During game play, Power-Ups give temporary scale or switch ownership resulting in score boosts. Robots can boost their alliance’s score even more by climbing the scale’s structure during the end game.

After the video ended and the lights slowly lit the room, many students minds were already at work on the infinite possibilities for their upcoming build season. Kavya Velliangiri, a Robbinsville freshmen on Nemesis stated, “The kickoff was exhilarating, and it was an experience to remember!” From the faces on many of the students in the room, they were feeling exactly the same way.

Teams were quick to flood out of the building, eager to return to their high schools to study the manual, filled to the brim with rules and information pertaining to the challenge, and share their newfound ideas during brainstorming sessions. Nemesis is very excited to start their build season off right.

Nemesis will compete at the Hatboro-Horsham District Event on March 3rd-March 4th, the Bridgewater-Raritan District Event on March 17th-18th, and the Hudson Valley Regional in Suffern, NY on March 23rd-March 25th. All events are free admission and all are welcome.  

Nemesis would like to extend great thanks to their generous sponsors: Robbinsville High School, NAVAIR, Bristol Myers Squibb, Department of Defense STEM, CCL Label, Knowledgent, Lockheed Martin, Nordson, Picatinny Arsenal, New York Society Of Cosmetic Chemists, Leidos, Robbinsville Education Association, RAS Process Equipment, Princeton Sports and Family Medicine, Investors Foundation, Robbinsville Education Foundation, Sharbell Development Corporation, Gilbane Incorporated, Design Tree, Northstar Vets, Skylink Technology Incorporated, Triangle Copy, and Coldwell Banker.   

The Nemesis team members are working harder than ever to ensure a great season.  The Marketing Team, has spent Week 1 performing many tasks, most notably, preparing for 2018 Sponsor Networking Night.  Save the date emails have been sent, formal invitations are on their way out, and presentations are being prepared.  Additionally, new photos have been picked out to be displayed in the showcase, and a new backdrop theme is being developed.

The Finance Team, is busy writing new sponsor grants, and all marketing members are making their first “cold calls” of the year.  The Logistics Team is planning for our competition season.  Finally, flyers have been made for Nemesis’ first ever Applebee’s Flapjack Fundraiser.  After only one week, the marketing team has completed a lot of work, and as the week closes, the team is really looking forward to what the rest of the season holds!

Fifteen students, a challenge, and a robot. In October 2017, Robbinsville High School’s (RHS) FIRST Robotics Team FRC 2590, Nemesis, started a First Tech Challenge (FTC) team 14020, Nemesis Prime. FTC is a branch of FIRST for students from ages 12 to 18. These students develop important skills in the STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art, and math) fields. Each year at kickoff, a new game is revealed and the season begins.

This year’s challenge, Relic Recovery, features two alliances whose goal is to organize foam blocks into one of six patterns to score points. FTC freshman Rugved Dikay explained the game as “a journey through a Pharaoh’s Tomb”. During the first thirty seconds of the game, known as the autonomous period, robots are controlled by pre-programmed instructions. The final two minutes, the robots zip around at the drivers command.

In preparation for their first competition, Nemesis Prime sought out help from members of Nemesis to give them a head start. Students from Nemesis aided Nemesis Prime members in areas of coding, driving, and building the robot. Mentors from the marketing team taught them how to present with confidence. All involved were rewarded a sense of leadership. Student mentor Matt Began shared his thoughts on Nemesis Prime, “Watching them persevere through obstacles gave me hope for FTC’s future.” Nemesis also shares their facilities and donated both financial and material resources to ensure the success of the FTC inaugural season.

Starting Nemesis Prime was a bold move for Nemesis. Their first competition was nerve wracking, and exciting. Members were swallowed by panic when the robot failed to work during the autonomous period. With fire in their eyes, the drivers managed to make up for what they lost during the driver operated period.

Nemesis Prime learned some valuable lessons so far this season. FTC freshman, Ashrith Pagedemarry, shared, “I have gotten a lot of hands-on experience and learned a lot from this program.” Nemesis looks forward to the rest of the FTC season and wishes Nemesis Prime the best of luck.

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