The Nerdettes, an all-girls STEM team sponsored by INNOVIM, participated in the Hydrodynamics FIRSTLego (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) League International Open in LEGOLAND, California – May 18-20. They competed against 78 teams from around the world including Japan, Korea, Canada, Uruguay, Sweden, and others in robot performance, robot design, project, and core values. The Nerdettes won 1st place in Strategy and Innovation in the coveted robot design category. The Strategy and Innovation award recognizes the team that uses solid engineering practices and a well-developed strategy to design and build an innovative, high performing robot. The team’s use of risk management and mission selection strategy is what help them secure a first-place trophy.
Not only did the team program and design a robot to complete missions, but they also competed in the Hydrodynamics project. For their project they developed a sensor to detect Fat, Oils, and Grease (FOG) in wastewater and submitted a provisional patent for their design. The FOG sensor implementation included developing an iPhone app to track, alert, and educate people on which foods contain FOG. Their efforts on FOG reduction will be featured in the International Code Council Building Safety Journal.
The Nerdettes will move on to the FIRSTTech Challenge (FTC) next year. FTC teams (grades 7-12) are challenged to design, build, program, and operate robots to compete head-to-head with teams from around the world. The team is already preparing for next year’s competition — meeting weekly with another team to get the inside track for the next level of competition.
INNOVIM proudly congratulates The Nerdettes on their spectacular work and victory!