During the last week of the 2024 build season, Nemesis has been working hard to get our robot ready for competitions and upcoming events. This week, the build team finalized the intake and has been fabricating more pieces for the robot. Additionally, the Electrical subteam has wired the belly pan and put a diverter on the robot, while the Software team continued making progress coding different elements, such as the intake. 

On the business side, we participated in Robbinsville High School’s annual 8th grade academic planning night. We showcased our previous competition robots and answered various questions from parents and incoming freshmen, allowing them to learn more about our team and gain interest in joining us next year. We have also continued preparing for Sponsor Night, including our presentation for potential and existing sponsors, which highlights our achievements throughout the years. Specifically, the media subteam has been taking action shots, utilized photoshop to create covers and flyers, and updated Nemesis’ social media and website. Community Outreach continued working on the impact presentation and is planning for future events.This includes our partnership with local organizations to spread STEM throughout our community. Logistics worked on our travel team presentation and planning for upcoming competitions, and Finance has been working on more grants. The team has also been making more buttons to provide to other teams during competitions. 

Overall, this week was extremely productive for Nemesis as we were able to accomplish various tasks relating to our robot’s completion and outreach events. We are looking forward to a competitive and successful competition season ahead!

The second to last week of the Build Season has come to a close, and excitement for competitions is at an all-time high. The team has been tirelessly working to ensure that we are ready for our first district competition. 

In the past week, the business team has become one step closer to finalizing the community outreach initiatives and sponsor night preparations. The media team worked to finalize the sponsor banner, made more buttons, and worked on the business plan, all which will be showcased during our annual sponsor night. Alongside this, our logistics team worked on organizing our weekly meetings and planning our meals for the weekend. Meanwhile, the finance team was busy finalizing the business plan, working on the sponsor night presentation, working on the library demo, and working on our executive summary and press packet. Our community outreach team, alongside the finance team, worked on organizing the library demo and planning and executing our FLL interest meeting event. 

The build team spent hours in the lab prototyping and working to perfect the robot. The software team worked on coding the subsystems for the prototypes that build managed to put together. The scouting team worked on managing and expanding the scouting software for our upcoming competitions. The fabrication team worked extremely hard and efficiently to finish cutting most of the pieces for the robot, such as the climbing rails which will allow the robot to pull itself up on the chain at the end of the game. The electrical team worked to finalize the layout of the robot and mounted the electrical components. Alongside this, the electric team also successfully completed the installation of the swerve drive. The design team finally worked on finishing all of the designs that will be implemented on the robot and started to prototype backup ideas.

We are excited to see what we have in store for the next week of build season, upcoming events, and eventually competition season!

Week four of the build season is complete! With just two weeks left until the competition season begins, we have eagerly prepared for our first match!

This past week, the business team worked on several tasks for the upcoming Sponsor Night and started preparations for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Competition. The logistics team started finding restaurants for team dinners at MAR and continued to organize meals for the build season. Media began designing a new robot trading card and continued to sort through and organize photos, utilizing our new photos to update the team’s socials. The finance team worked with the media team to design a new business plan cover. The business team as a whole has collaborated to plan our Annual Sponsor Networking Night; donors and parents are invited to the school for a presentation about the past season and plans for the new one, along with a tour of our Tech Lab.  The community outreach team organized the upcoming library demonstration and worked to ensure a successful event! Collaboratively, the business team made more buttons and updated the large showcase displays located outside the tech lab. 

More work was conducted on getting our new competition robot up and kicking on the build team’s end. This is largely due to the design team’s recent completion of the CAD for the new robot. Utilizing this, fabrication started on the key components of the robot. The electrical team designed the electric diagram of the robot. The build team also created a functional drive base for the software team to use. Thanks to this, the robot is now fully capable of driving. Furthermore, the software team gave the robot vision capabilities after spending the past two weeks working on it. The software team also discussed and finalized its code superstructure and has begun changing the subsystem to accommodate it. The team’s strategy subteam began development of this year’s scout app. Week 4 of the build season was incredibly productive for the build team, and a finished competition robot is only a few steps away. 

Overall, the team accomplished a lot this week and is excited to continue progressing through its tasks as competition season gets closer. We are eager to see what next week brings because the team has worked extremely hard to prepare for the Crescendo Competition Season.

We’re halfway through the build season and Nemesis is more productive than ever! Both the build and business subteams have been preparing for the upcoming competition season, as well as the events that the team will be hosting. 

The business team has continued preparations for the competition season while also getting resources ready for the annual Sponsor Night event. Specifically, the finance team has been reconciling the bank account, finishing our 5-year business plan, and finalizing the press packet. They are also working on the executive summary to keep our sponsors up-to-date with accomplishments of the past season, as well as our goals for the future. Meanwhile, the media team has been updating the website and social media accounts, finalizing button designs, creating a new business plan cover, and taking action shots of the team. The logistics team is preparing activities for travel competitions like MAR Champs and Worlds. They are also organizing team meals for the weekends and updating the pit presentation for competitions. Finally, the community outreach team has been arranging our annual FLL Interest meeting and food drive and working on written materials and documentation for the Impact award. Simultaneously, they are working to touch base with our collaborators at the Trenton Urban Promise organization, 

The build team has also been incredibly busy, finishing prototypes and beginning work on the final robot. The software team has been rewriting code for the swerve drive, began utilizing new libraries for better subsystem code, and finalizing PhotonVision for AprilTag analysis. The electrical team is working closely with software to wire the swerve bot, as well as connecting the prototypes to circuit boards to simulate how it would work on the robot. The fabrication team is using CAD to design parts, as well as manufacturing initial parts created by the design team. Lastly, the strategy team is creating different subsystems for the robot, updating the scouting app to accommodate the new game, and working on note taking for competitions.

We can’t wait to continue this progress throughout the latter half of the build season as we have an exciting month ahead of us, prior to competition season! 
 

Week two of the 2024 build season has shaped up wonderfully despite the challenges that a New Jersey snowfall put forth. Nemesis wasn’t able to be as hands-on as we would have liked, however we took advantage of the snow days to brainstorm, plan, and collaborate. 

The business team made strides in their preparations for the upcoming competition season! Specifically, the media subteam continued planning out designs of the buttons that we hand out to all the FIRST supporters. Nemesis’s annual full team photos were captured and we were ecstatic to continue this beloved tradition. The logistics subteam continued to perfect new team merchandise designs, specifically upgrading the hats with a black background and red team logo. They also ensured that the team was set for a weekend of work with team meals. The community outreach subteam worked on the new Impact award submission. Finally, the finance team spent time finishing the updates to the five year business plan.The business team as a whole has worked together to tear down and revamp our team’s showcases in the hallway; we cannot wait for a new week of progress. 

The build team continues to work diligently towards prototyping the robot. After the first week of planning and finalizing designs, the team has started polishing final components. They have been focusing on detecting the AprilTags using photonvision and have made progress in assembling the swerve modules. After experimenting with different prototypes, the build team worked on using a diversion intake/outtake which is used to score notes with the same device. Meanwhile, the rookies have been learning the process of fabrication for various custom parts. Overall, the build team is working at a good pace, and they have officially hit the one-third mark of the build season.

The team as a whole has been working hard to prepare for the upcoming competitions, and we are looking forward to a successful season ahead!

As Nemesis has kicked off this year’s FIRST Robotics Competition season with the theme Crescendo, we are excited to prepare for a fun-filled time ahead.

This past week, the business team has been working on several tasks in preparation for our competitions. The Community Outreach team has been gathering students for our FLL meet and greet to create more FLL teams in our community. We have also been preparing for our food drive in February where we collect items for local food pantries and soup kitchens. The Sustainability Award is one of the most prestigious awards an FRC team can win, and we have been tirelessly working on perfecting our pitch to showcase the impact we have had, both in our community and internationally. The Media team has been working on creating new button designs to hand out at upcoming competitions. These are crucial for meeting new teams and helping them connect with us. They have been posting to our social media platforms and team website with our latest updates, such as pictures from our recent Unified Robotics event at the local middle school. The Finance team has been updating our 5-year business plan to ensure a financial understanding of our team and have been working on maximizing our funding by applying to grants. The Logistics team has been preparing for upcoming competitions this season, and they ensure the team's schedule is well organized by coordinating team meals, transportation, and meeting dates. 

The build team’s prototyping period is halfway done, with 1 week left. This past week, the team has been brainstorming ideas and perfecting their intake technique. They have had a few prototypes that have not worked out, but they continue to experiment with new ideas, such as a one bar intake. One of their key tasks is using CAD to improve the design of their robot and find solutions to any problems they may be having. The team has been using the notes (the game pieces) to test out their creations and have found success in collaborating with each other. Each subteam is working on a specific task and comes together to discuss their findings, ensuring a motivated and productive team.

The team as a whole has been incredibly productive in preparation for the upcoming seasons and we can’t wait to see what next week holds.

This past week Nemesis had an incredible experience hosting our first Unified Robotics event at our town’s local middle school. We began with a brief introduction of our team, the FIRST community, and the robotics opportunities open to the students as they enter high school. 

After pairing small groups of students with a Nemesis team member, the challenge began. The friendly competition we presented was a paper tower building competition, each group was given as much paper and tape necessary to build the tallest tower in forty-five minutes. Each group spent a few minutes planning out ideas for their structure’s bases before getting to action on building. With each group taking on a different architectural strategy, creativity was exemplified by every participant. 

Many laughs were shared throughout the trial and errors, and at the end of the building time every group had a paper structure that independently stood on its own! Each tower was individualized to showcase the crafter’s vibrant personalities: some groups finished their towers with hand-made flags! Ultimately, both Nemesis volunteers and attending students expanded their horizons through expressing their visions in an engaging hands-on activity. It was a blast to work with such a brilliant group of students and introduce them to the excitement that robotics holds. 

        After a preseason of hard work, the FRC Kickoff has arrived, initiating the 2024 season! At the start of kickoff, the whole team watched as this year’s musical themed game, Crescendo, that was announced live on Twitch. The announcement made the team jump to the seventh octave. The game poses an interesting challenge, especially compared to games from previous years. Teams must have their robots be able to score rings called notes into multiple goal stations and hang on a chain in the center of their side of the field, known as the stage. The team members were astonished by this year's event and are more ready than ever to conquer this year’s challenge. The whole team plans to work harder, sleep less, and have as much fun as possible in the upcoming months. 
        Nemesis wasted no time in learning everything about the game. They pored over the game manual, trying to find as much information as possible. To reinforce this information, the team took a quiz made by the strategy subteam which incorporated information from the manual. 
        Next, the team started to strategize on how to maximize point scoring during the game. For the rest of the first day, the team was divided into groups to create an ordered list of tasks for the robot to accomplish. From shooting notes into the amp to climbing up the Stage, each team member had their own opinions on how to prioritize each task. Eventually, each group came to a consensus and reconvened to decide on a final list. Although considering all the varied ideas and opinions took longer than anticipated, the list of the team’s top priorities for scoring options was soon finalized.
      Kickoff wasn’t all work and no play, as the team took multiple breaks to cool off and have fun. Some team members played handball, others played basketball, and some took the opportunity to chill out and hang around. With multiple weeks of long hours in the lab to come, this was a reminder to our team members that hard work means nothing without a little fun.
       The excitement continued into Sunday with the team beginning to create prototype ideas, utilizing the list from the previous day. After a quick lunch break, the members moved on to sketching various possible designs for the robot, all unique to each member and their ideas. These concepts were then presented to the rest of the team to get opinions and constructive criticism. Finally, the team moved on to complete a closing list of which mechanisms to prototype. With that, day two came to an end.
      Overall, Nemesis’ 2024 kickoff was a great success. Despite the difficulties generated by Crescendo’s complicated game, the team managed to prepare effectively to  face the new challenge. The build team is testing their new prototypes, and the business team is preparing for future outreach events, including our upcoming Sponsor Night. Nemesis is ready to come into the spotlight and put on an unforgettable performance! 

          As the year came to a close, Nemesis held its most beloved tradition – the Yankee Swap. An event where all team members bring wrapped gifts to an evening of friendly competition. Each member puts their gift on a table and finds a surrounding seat. Once all players are ready, the exchange begins! Each person is given a random number, which correlates to the order used when members get to choose a gift from the table. After grabbing a gift, members have the option to swap with someone who has already picked a gift, or to sit down with their prize, hoping that nobody steals it later on. Then the next person in line chooses a present and the process starts again.
   The true action begins during swapping. The anticipation was high with every new round! As more gifts were unwrapped, the amount of coveted items grew, ranging from a musical toy shopping cart to a six-cup coffee machine.
After many rounds of swapping and haggling, the teammate who commenced the game takes the last turn at swapping. Finally, all players can put their items down and enjoy their new gifts. This event is never complete without laughs shared over the humorous presents (dancing robots and burrito blanket), unexpected swaps, and the team bonding over treats afterwards. 
    Yankee Swap has always been the perfect conclusion to the pre-season and re-energizes the team’s spirits for the upcoming kickoff weekend! Nemesis is always encouraging team-building in and out of the lab; we can’t wait to continue our cherished team traditions throughout seasons to come.
 

The annual Discovery Day hosted at Robbinsville High School by FRC team Nemesis 2590 was  a grand success as students in our community were introduced to the fascinating world of FIRST. On December 3rd and 4th, the campers completed a plethora of age-appropriate STEM challenges, meant to offer a stimulating, but fun, experience for the students.

This year there were two challenges: one targeted towards younger students (grades 2-4) and one for the older kids (grades 5-6). The first challenge was to build machines that would successfully launch paper airplanes, engaging the students in a fierce and fun competition with each other to see which airplane design would go the farthest! Through this activity, these students were taught basic principles of aerodynamics while having a great time. Meanwhile, older students were tested through a variety of challenges involving the use of NXT robots that engaged in sumo wrestling matches. This prompted them to think outside the box, using only their creativity and tenacity to build unique designs that would work effectively in battle.

Campers also had the opportunity to drive Nemesis’s 2023 competition robot, Jynx, after briefly learning about the driver’s joysticks and controls from team volunteers. The excitement on the young student’s faces was apparent as they guided the robot to place cones on various rungs, making us certain that the future of FIRST is bright!

 Local FLL teams, IDK, Minds of Steel, and Brains of Talent, set up FLL competition tables from the Masterpiece challenge to demonstrate robotics that fit their skill level, ensuring that students could begin or even continue their FIRST journey. At these FLL demonstrations, local team coaches and members motivated campers to try joining or beginning a team of their own! 

In the end, all the students had an amazing time meeting with our team, learning more about STEM principles, and competing against each other in a collaborative environment. It was a delightful experience to see all of them leaving with smiles on their faces, and a newfound passion for robotics and STEM!

On November 19th, Robbinsville High School and Nemesis 2590 hosted the first ever Robbinsville Ruckus FLL Event! This qualifier event was packed to the brim with 24 teams competing to advance to the next stage, the state championship.
    
Beginning bright and early at 7:00 AM, teams arrived at the high school to set up their colorful project displays; this year’s Innovation Challenge, Masterpiece, was to explore ways to spread a specific hobby of theirs using STEM. The rest of the morning flew by, as teams presented their robot designs, core value skills, and innovation projects to the judges. Team ambassadors from Nemesis helped FLL members navigate the building, get concessions, and have a great time! Meanwhile, other teams fine-tuned their robots at the practice matches to prepare for the main event.
    
After a brief lunch break, it was finally time for the opening ceremonies! Emceed by two energetic Nemesis team members, Ayur Munipalli and Tanvi Kasivishwanathan, everyone had a blast following along to their match commentaries, quips, and cheerful banter. As all the teams gathered and settled down, Nemesis referees prepped the tables for the games to kick off. 
 
Filled with excitement, teams lined up to be queued to their matches. The first game started off with a tense atmosphere as the robots completed tasks for the highest points possible. After each round, the referees carefully examined every corner to calculate each team’s score. As the day progressed, different teams made their way up the leaderboard through a fierce yet friendly competition.

Nemesis members and volunteers worked diligently throughout the day to ensure that the competition commenced in a timely manner. To lighten the mood, the emcees played lively music, boosting the enthusiasm amongst teams. Team members started singing and dancing along, brightening the spirit. All the while, judges were working tirelessly to finalize the awards. 

The matches ended with a bang, marking the beginning of the highly-awaited awards ceremony. With every team that won an award, the entire gymnasium erupted in applause, displaying the tremendous gracious professionalism from everyone in attendance.The teams that eventually qualified for the state championship were:

• 30745 - Minds of Steel
• 60755 - Tech Warriors
• 62281 - Left in the Dust
• 16831 - IDK
• 61104 - RoBoBallers
• 52578 - Lightning Phoenix

Nemesis is incredibly grateful for the opportunity to host our first FLL event and we hope to host another in the future. We look forward to finding new and innovative ways of spreading STEM in our community and beyond!
 

Entering the bustling Hatboro Havoc arena, with the hum of robotic contraptions and the buzz of conversations, the atmosphere was electric. It was an awesome Saturday at Hatboro Havoc, the very first event of the off-season for the FIRST Robotics competition. The competition itself was a maze of tricky obstacles and challenges, a fantastic way to get the team's gear up for the season ahead.This event was also a perfect chance for the new drive team to get some practice.
The qualification matches got underway as Nemesis geared up for its own debut. Jynx, our robot, rolled out onto the arena floor as part of the Red alliance. Our rookie drivers quickly got the hang of maneuvering the robot. With drivers at the station racking up points for the Red alliance, the rest of our team was like a passionate crowd, cheering with unrestrained enthusiasm as they closely followed Jynx's every move. The robot darted around, zipping across the arena, aiming to score as many points as possible. Despite the challenges our team had faced, everyone's spirits were high, and we were all hopeful for a strong finish. It was truly amazing to see the teamwork and motivation in action.

As the elimination rounds and brackets kicked off, the arena was brimming with anticipation. Nemesis was the top pick for alliance 5. In the third round, Jynx stumbled in the first bracket, and Alliance 5 found themselves in the loser's bracket for another shot. Amid the celebrations, all the teams demonstrated remarkable respect for each other. In the second round, as Alliance 5 fought to advance in the bracket, an unexpected twist took place. Mid-competition, all the robots lost connection with the control panel. While they worked to reestablish the connection, the stands came to life to keep the excitement going. The speakers blasted tunes like the Cha Cha Slide and Cupid Shuffle, and people from all the teams joined in the fun.

Hatboro Havoc was a seriously eventful and incredible experience for the team. It rekindled our enthusiasm for the rest of the season. Hatboro Havoc was a fantastic experience, and Nemesis 2590 can't wait to come back to Horsham, PA.

On October 14th and 15th, Nemesis hosted Engineering Day, an event where middle school students with an interest in STEM and engineering could participate in an engaging team-building activity that put their building skills to the test. Engineering Day served as an excellent introduction to STEM, fostering an environment that encouraged kids to unleash their creativity while developing collaboration and communication skills.

The day commenced with a presentation that provided the aspiring student engineers with insights and tips for the upcoming challenge. This presentation featured a larger-scale version of the activity, helping students relate it to their own challenge and generate ideas. The challenge itself was to construct a bridge capable of bearing the maximum weight without collapsing, all while adhering to specific material constraints. As they embarked on this task, the students applied the knowledge they had gained. In the final stage, the bridges were placed between two tables, and a bucket was attached to each bridge. Students loaded weights onto the bridge until it eventually gave way. The winner would be determined by the ratio of the bridge's mass to the amount of weight it could support.

The students were divided into teams, with each group paired with two Nemesis members who mentored them throughout the engineering challenge. Initially, many groups encountered difficulties related to communication and brainstorming ideas for their bridges. However, their mentors were always on hand to provide guidance. Rather than giving away all the answers, they gently nudged the students in the right direction, encouraging them to utilize their creativity and innovation to collaborate and build the best possible bridge. Even when their ideas didn't work exactly as planned, the mentors continued to motivate them not to give up.

After each group completed their bridge and collected the necessary data, they had the opportunity to operate Jynx, Nemesis's 2023 competition robot. Many students expressed their excitement, as this was an entirely new experience for them. Allowing the students to control a robot was an engaging, hands-on experience.

In conclusion, Engineering Day proved to be a tremendous success, and hopefully this will inspire many future Nemesis members and budding engineers.
 

Nemesis Navigator is a new section on our team's website that aims to provide a wealth of information and advice to the FIRST community. We plan to create a database encapsulating every corner of FIRST.

One of the sections, Alumni Advice, will feature personal stories and advice from former Nemesis members. These alumni will share what FIRST means to them, what they got out of the program, and how it has helped them in their college and career paths.

Another area of Nemesis Navigator is Team/Community Resources. This will contain informational articles or videos from current Nemesis members on various topics. These resources will include both Build and Business how-to's, such as How to CAD, How to Get Sponsors, and How to Program. The goal of these resources is to help members from other teams learn new skills and techniques. We will gather input from our own team as well as from other teams to create a comprehensive resource for the FIRST community.

By compiling a database of resources and advice from our team, alumni, and the FIRST community, we hope to bring together the FIRST community and assist rookie teams or those considering joining a FIRST team. We plan to reach out to other teams via Chief Delphi and other online means to gather information and make connections.

We are excited to launch this resource and hope that it will serve as a valuable tool for teams of all levels.

Over the weekend, Robbinsville High School hosted its inaugural robotics competition which turned out to be a resounding success and an experience that is sure to be remembered.

Team Nemesis would like to express our gratitude to all the volunteers who helped make this event possible. From the initial planning stages to the final day of the competition, they selflessly gave their time and energy to ensure that everything ran smoothly. Nemesis parents,  alumni, and other students from the FIRST community came together, working at the concession stands and participating in the competition as judges and field resetters to make the weekend memorable and an enjoyable experience for everyone. Without their assistance, this event would not have been possible, and we are grateful for their unwavering support.

Despite some initial worries about the amount of work it would be to set up and disassemble the competition, the process went far more smoothly than we had anticipated. With the help of our volunteers and the cooperation of all the teams involved, we were able to efficiently and effectively get everything arranged for a fantastic weekend of competition. What we initially thought would be a lengthy and tiresome process turned out to be an unforgettable bonding experience.

One of the highlights of the competition was the spirit of FIRST: the embodiment of coopertition and gracious professionalism that permeated throughout the teams bolstered the excitement through the arena . Rather than just focusing on winning at all costs, the teams were genuinely invested in helping each other out and fostering a sense of camaraderie and mutual respect. Whether it was lending spare parts, offering advice, or simply cheering each other on, the teams demonstrated a true commitment to working together for the greater good. One example of this was when three robots failed to meet the inspection requirements. To help them compete, Nemesis mentors worked with the teams to fabricate new pieces in the machine shop and reassemble the robots.

Of course, there were moments of fierce competition, with each team vying for the top spot. However, even in these moments, the teams remained respectful and enthusiastic, never losing sight of the bigger picture. This dedication to gracious professionalism was truly inspiring and a testament to the character of the students involved. We are so proud that Nemesis ended up as a semi-finalist as a part of the number two alliance in the competition. The event culminated with Nemesis winning the Sustainability award, an incredible accomplishment thanks to the collective efforts and dedication of the entirety of the team. 

In conclusion, the inaugural robotics competition at Robbinsville was a shining example of what can be achieved when people come together with a common goal. We look forward to seeing what the future holds for Nemesis and the opportunities that lie ahead for our students to innovate, collaborate, and make a positive impact on the world. We are incredibly grateful for the opportunity to host such an amazing event and we hope to host another in the future.

On March 18th and 19th, Nemesis hosted our inaugural district event competition at our high school in Robbinsville, NJ. The event was an amazing success – not to mention it ran beautifully due to the hard work and dedication of all the volunteers and alumni involved! Additionally, Nemesis was graciously awarded the Team Sustainability Award! (What’s outstanding is that this is the 16th time we have achieved this honor). This award celebrates and recognizes a team which has developed a sustainable program in order to define, manage, and achieve the team’s ongoing objectives.

Nemesis embodies this by dividing our workload into subteams (logistics, media, software, strategy, etc) and inspiring future team members by introducing STEM to our community with Discovery and Engineering days. We strive to keep our contributors engaged through our annual Sponsor Networking Night; a chance to update our patrons on the future goals of Nemesis and how we plan to budget for these objectives.

All that being said; the entire team is grateful for the judges' recognition and extremely happy to have received such a meaningful award at our first home competition. Nemesis is ready to continue showcasing these core values highlighted by the Team Sustainability Award at the fast approaching Mid Atlantic Regionals and beyond!