Robbinsville High School’s Robotics Team 2590 Nemesis, was invited to the International Technology Showcase for the Society of Cosmetic Chemists by the New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists. The showcase was a two day event on the dates of December 18th and 19th.

Our purpose at the the International Technology Showcase for the Society of Cosmetic Chemists was not immediately apparent to most in attendance. Once attendants gained an understanding of who we are, they quickly asked, “But how does this relate to chemistry?” Over the two-day period at the conference, we reiterated how robots are the future of manufacturing, a key step in the sale of cosmetic products. Most importantly, we explained how the fundamental skills we learn in Nemesis are essential in any career path, even the field of cosmetic chemistry.  Each subteam on Nemesis must practice essential problem-solving skills and practice the design cycle, whether designing an advertising video or a successful robot.

Attendants were amazed that a group of high schoolers had built such a complicated robot like Bellerophon--let alone, in a short six week time frame.  Since the showcase was an international event, our NAO robot was especially popular being a major character on French television. The European attendants especially enjoyed the NAO robot’s special greeting for the showcase. the NAO robot also performed a tai chi routine and macarena dance. The appeal of the NAO robot made some consider its potential as an advertising tool in the cosmetic industry.

After long days of presenting, Nemesis did some winter sightseeing around New York City, including visits to Times Square and the iconic tree in Rockefeller Center.

The showcase provided the opportunity to share our work while also gaining an understanding of the latest cosmetic technology. Our chemistry enthusiasts obtained valuable knowledge of the future of the cosmetic field, giving them an edge when pursuing a chemistry-related career in the future.

Robbinsville High School’s technology lab opened its doors on December 6th and 7th  to over one hundred excited students, grades two through six, who flocked to participate in Nemesis 2590’s annual Robotics Discovery Day. Depending on their experience and grade level, the young campers, with the assistance of Nemesis team members, created robots using either remote-controls or NXT LEGO® Mindstorms. Students were also given the opportunity to drive Nemesis’ award-winning robot Bellerophon, interact with the NAO robot, a talking and dancing robot that was a fan-favorite among the kids, and complete a challenge involving the local middle school’s FLL robot.

The younger students participated in a zip line challenge, where teams of two students and one Nemesis mentor created remote-controlled robots, designed to travel across a string and pick up supplies from the ground. The more experienced campers programmed NXT LEGO® Mindstorms robots to engage in a sumo wrestling match. Victory was achieved by using the robot’s sensors to locate the opposing robot and then push it out of the ring.

 To many students, driving Bellerophon and interacting with the NAO robot was the perfect supplement to their already-entertaining day. Christian Gavalchin, the driver of the robot, taught kids how to maneuver Bellerophon into the perfect scoring angle, pointed out the button needed to release the ball, and then allowed them to send the ball soaring through the goal. Some of the students enjoyed driving the robot so much, that no sooner than they had released the ball, they had found their way to the back of the line, eager to try again. The NAO robot had the young students laughing and dancing as it performed Tai-Chi, danced the Macarena, and engaged in an intense game of Simon Says.   

Overall, these tough challenges provided students with vital early experience in the fields of Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM), by creating an atmosphere similar to the FIRST’s (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology). Nemesis delivered the young campers a challenge to complete in a predetermined amount of time, allowing each group to formulate their own unique solution to the challenge, which is exactly what happens during the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) build season.  

Discovery Day proved to be a major success, provoking overwhelming gratitude from both the parents and campers who participated. Many of the students departed the high school eager for next year’s event, excited to participate once more. Robotics Discovery Day also functions as a main fundraiser for Nemesis, permitting the team to travel and compete in regional and international competitions.

On Monday, December 1st, Robbinsville High School FIRST Robotics Team 2590 Nemesis visited the New Jersey State House in Trenton, as Senator Linda Greenstein, Assemblyman Daniel Benson, and Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo honored the team with a Joint Legislative Resolution.

Team 2590 received recognition for its successful 2014 season concluding with a semifinalist finish at the FIRST World Championships held in St .Louis, Missouri. In addition, Nemesis was one of four teams awarded the Entrepreneurship Award at the international level to acknowledge the team’s extensive business plan. Nemesis received commendation on the state senate floor for its continuous efforts in spreading the STEM message, promoting community involvement, and maintaining strong relationships with the school, students, mentors, and New Jersey state government.

Nemesis represented the fourteenth district of New Jersey alongside other Mercer County FIRST Robotics teams participating at the World Championships, including Mercury 1089 from Hightstown High School, Zero Gravity from Steinert High School, Flux Core from Nottingham High School, the Hornets from Hamilton High School West and the MidKnight Inventors from West Windsor-Plainsboro High Schools North and South.

While a group of Nemesis team members and jubilant parents spectated from the balcony of the State House, 2014 alumni Joshua Falk, Antonio Papa, and Baljot Ranu stood with mentor Joy Wolfe on the floor to accept the award on behalf of the team. Chief Executive Officer Arnav Vast stated, “I felt proud as I watched our alumni receive this award, as we were being recognized for all of our hard work and long hours we put into building the robot.”

Nemesis presented both its 2014 robot Bellerophon and its NAO robot; the attentive senators eagerly listened as students recounted their experiences at St. Louis and elaborated on their success over the years. Junior Christian Gavalchin of the Nemesis build team exclaimed “it was a wonderful opportunity for the senators to interact with the team and the robot.”

Grateful for the opportunity to present before the New Jersey state government and receive the Joint Legislative Resolution, Nemesis hopes to continue communicating with the government and further develop its relationships with Senator Greenstein, Assemblyman Benson, and Assemblyman DeAngelo to promote recognition of STEM.

On Saturday, November 15, Robbinsville FIRST Robotics Team Nemesis 2590 demonstrated their 2014 season robot, Bellerophon, and their NAO robot at the Robbinsville Public Library. Approximately twenty excited elementary school students gathered to see Bellerophon. They experienced what Bellerophon — a machine nearly twice their size — could do.

The demonstration started with Nemesis showing the children how Bellerophon worked. Then, the team allowed the kids to explain how they thought each part of the robot functioned. The children impressed the team with their extremely large imaginations and made good observations. One child observed that there was a camera on the base of the robot and stated that he thought it was the “eye” of the robot. Another said he thought the robot could “mow the grass.”

Afterwards, the team demonstrated the brand-new NAO robot. It began performing a tai chi routine and became unbalanced, falling and saying, “Ouch!” on the way down. The children were amused and excited, seeming to think that was the best part of the routine.

Team 2590 wrapped up the event by showing a match from the past season so the children could get a visual of what a real FIRST match looked like. They were awed.

The parents were interested in the robots, too! Many of them asked how they could get their children involved with robotics. They were given Discovery Day flyers so they could send their children to the high school for another day of robot fun!

Not only did the children learn a lot, they also had a fabulous time exploring and experiencing the robots. Nemesis thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to expose young aspiring children to the wonders of science, technology, engineering, and mathematics. 

Nemesis 2590 was visibly brimming with energy and excitement as they entered North Brunswick Township High School on Saturday, November 8th for Brunswick Eruption. Nemesis joined 41 teams from Virginia to Canada to compete in the lucky number 13th year of Brunswick Eruption.

 Aerial Assist provided a brilliant challenge for Nemesis in the 2014 season, when the team strategically designed a highly dynamic and robust robot that emerged from the World Championships in St. Louis as one of the top four alliance captains of the 4,000 teams worldwide. As Nemesis entered the event on Saturday, they were looking to continue their hot-streak from last year.  

 This was the chance for the new members, as well as a rookie drive team, to get accustomed to the upcoming competition season. Arnav Vast, the Chief Executive Officer of the team and coach of the drive team said, “I was impressed with the significant improvement that Christian, the new driver, displayed throughout the event.” Despite the tough challenges faced by Nemesis, they persevered, and were able to emerge from qualification matches as the second seed. Using their comprehensive scouting data, Nemesis formed Alliance 1 with first seed Tigertrons 222 (Pennsylvania), Sprockets 1075 (Ontario), and The Robotic Plague 375 (New York).

Elimination matches proved difficult yet prosperous for Nemesis and their allies. Nevertheless, Alliance 1 achieved the highest score for Brunswick Eruption at 251 points. Finally whittling down to finals, Alliance 1 faced Alliance 3 S.P.I.K.E. 293 (Pennington), Roxbotix 4361 (Succasunna), The Gearheads 102 (Somerville), and Aperture 3142 (Newton).

Things looked bleak for Alliance 1 after their early loss in the first round of the finals. However, the boisterous cheering of all Nemesis’s fans propelled the drive team to victory! Upon the completion of this event, Christian Gavalchin, a Junior on the drive team, said he felt “Proud to uphold the legacy of Nemesis”. After this promising show, Nemesis’s 2015 competition season is looking bright!

Technological innovations, advancements, and developments took center-stage at the Citibank Global Technology Expo held on Tuesday, September 16.  Team FRC 2590 Nemesis from Robbinsville High School attended the event fully prepared to submerge themselves in the engrossing realm of technology and its applications in the real world. The team greeted the opportunity to speak to one of their most generous sponsors with utmost excitement. On the morning of the event, a group of Nemesis team members including seniors Harrison Young and Jim Harris, juniors Samantha Young and Christian Gavalchin, and Nemesis alumnus Jenna Mollica drove to Warren, New Jersey to spend the day demonstrating and presenting the team’s 2014 robot. With the robot safely towed away and the presentation board ready to go, the students prepared for an exhilarating day of technology exchange.

Upon arrival, Nemesis worked along with team FRC 41 Robowarriors from Watchung Regional High School in Warren, NJ. The two teams collaborated to produce an intriguing and enjoyable presentation of FIRST robotics for the onlooking Citibank employees. They impressed hundreds of Citibank’s workers with their technological expertise through demonstrations of robot mechanics, cooperation, and teamwork.

The employees were fascinated by Nemesis’ robot. They were equally captivated by the students’ presentation of the team’s engineering and business knowledge that resulted in their recent successes at the World Championships. The students enthusiastically answered a variety of questions related to everything from the team’s structure and functionality to robotics and entrepreneurship.     

Of his experience, Jim Harris said, “It’s great that our sponsor Citibank had us there to show our appreciation for their gracious support”. The entire team was grateful for the opportunity to not only exhibit their successes to their sponsor, but to also explore and immerse themselves in the forthcoming technological innovations spearheaded by Citibank.

After school, the rest of the team arrived to explore the expo and communicate with Citibank’s vendors. They were treated to compelling presentations involving developments in technology intended to improve the experiences of Citibank’s clients and employees in long-distance communication, travel, and financial management. Samantha Young shared, “Attending the Citibank Technology Expo gave Nemesis the opportunity to explore the up-and-coming technology being used in the business world”. The students left the expo enlightened and informed, and look forward to similar experiences in the future. Nemesis always appreciates any opportunity to further their knowledge of technology and its application in the real world.   

The Robbinsville school district’s Board of Education was impressed with the presentation that Nemesis gave during May 27, 2014's board meeting.  Josh Falk, current CEO of Nemesis, recited each competition and award they had received in their best season yet. CBO Baljot Ranu, CTO Julia Borowski, and Arnav Vast presented their accomplishments in terms of giving back to the community, which include, charity walks, fundraisers, and spreading the STEM message to younger students through their annual Discovery Day event.

The Superintendent, Dr. Mayer, voiced his amazement after the presentation by stating how beneficial Nemesis is to Robbinsville and how they are promoting the town in a positive way. He also expressed how difficult it could be to follow such a great season and how he hopes the team succeeds in years to come.

To conclude the night, Nemesis’ seniors were asked to share with the Board of Education which college they would be attending in the fall and what their majors will be.

Congratulations to Nemesis and their fantastic season and its seniors!

FIRST Robotics Team Nemesis 2590 arrived at Monty Madness, ready to compete with their robot Bellerophon.  Forty-two different teams all from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York, and Delaware gathered at Montgomery High School on Saturday, May 17, 2014.

This year’s game is Aerial Assist, where robots shoot a 2 foot yoga ball into a high or low goal in order to earn points. Teams can also acquire points through assists, with a ten point bonus per assist. Monty Madness is split into two rounds of competition: The qualification rounds and the elimination rounds.  The qualification rounds determine where each team will be seeded, while the elimination rounds consist of three matches between two alliances, and the first team to win two matches wins that round.  

Bellerophon performed brilliantly in the qualification rounds, placing 1st with a magnificent 6-0 record. The success can be ascribed to Nemesis’ rookie drivers, Harrison Young (junior), Arnav Vast (junior), and Christian Gavalchin (sophomore). The operators, Arnav Vast (junior) and Jim Harris (junior) adjusted the shooting angle and power of the robot.  During different matches, Sammi Young (sophomore), Karla Dimatulac (senior) and Baljot Ranu (senior) all had the opportunity to be the human player by catching the game ball and returning it to the robot.  Josh Falk (senior) did a superb job of teaching these new drivers the ropes when it came to operating a robot and he developed the game strategy. The future for Nemesis is looking bright, even with the impending absence of many executive team members next year.

            With the qualification round of the competition coming to a close, Nemesis seeded first of all 42 teams, and invited teams 341, 694, and 4954 to join the alliances; all of whom graciously accepted.

With a first-class alliance, unmatched determination, and a rambunctious fan section, Nemesis entered the elimination round with aspirations for victory.

Team 2590 started the round off well, emerging victorious from their first match. “The first elimination match was an easy win, but by the second match they learned how to play defense on us. The scoring was quickly reduced and turned into a pushing match.” said sophomore driver Christian Gavalchin.  Team 2590 could not retrieve another victory and finished in the quarterfinals.

The offseason event gave the upcoming team a chance to lead the competition. One thing is for sure: The horizons of Nemesis’s potential are limitless. “Next season, it will be challenging without all of the seniors except we are prepared to continue because we learned a lot from them.” Arnav Vast (junior) said.

As FIRST Robotics Team 2590 Nemesis boarded a plane headed for St. Louis, Missouri in the early hours of April 23rd, they knew they had something to prove. A relatively new and unheard of team outside the Mid Atlantic Robotics (MAR) area, the last 3 seasons had been a whirlwind for Nemesis, coming into their own and earning a reputation as a powerhouse team. Despite being the Hatboro-Horsham District Winners and the MAR Champions, St. Louis would be a competition unlike any other they had attended in the 2014 season.

Since 2011, the Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis had been home to the FIRST World Championships. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded by Dean Kamen in 1989 to introduce and inspire a love of STEM (science, technology, math, and science) in young people across the world. Each year, teams from across the world travel to compete in this “Varsity Sport of the Mind.”

Every January, FIRST gives teams 6 weeks to build their own robot to complete that year’s announced challenge. Aerial Assist, this year’s game, is played 3 versus 3, the objective being to place a ball into a floor goal or to shoot for the high-scoring goal. An emphasis is placed on cooperation, with 10 points added to an alliance’s score for each assist.

At the World Championship, 400 teams from countries all over the globe, including Brazil, China, Israel, Mexico, the Netherlands, and the UK, were invited to compete for the title of 2014 World Champion. The teams would be randomly assigned to one of four divisions (Archimedes, Curie, Galileo, or Newton), where each team would play 10 qualification matches based on a randomly generated schedule. At the end of Qualifications, the top 8 seeded teams would pick their own alliance to advance through the bracket-style Elimination Rounds. The winner of each division would go on to compete at the Einstein Division to determine the champion.

For the third year running, Team Nemesis was placed in the Archimedes Division, where competition was stiff. Stacked against several reverenced teams, Nemesis was unsure how they would fair. But they came with determined to defy the odds.

Bellerophon, Nemesis’ 2014 creation, was designed by team members using CAD software, and then constructed using the student’s specifications. Sporting a claw and a spring-powered linear punch shooter, Bellerophon was designed to swiftly grab balls and launch them into the high-scoring goal.

Starting on Thursday, April 24th, thousands began pouring into the venue, as FIRST was hosting not only the FIRST Robotics Competition, but the FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST Lego League as well, along with their junior league. The Pit Area was soon milling with students and their robots, with over 650 teams from all age groups filling the venue.

Nemesis’ first 2 matches presented no troubles, and the team easily scored a victory. The high caliber of competition became clear in the next 2, however, and the team was left with a 2-2 record. Hope fading of claiming one of the top 8 spots, the team continued to fight for their victories, knowing they could very well still be picked to head into Elimination Rounds. The team won their last match of the day and powered through each of the 4 Friday matches with a victory.

Friday wasn’t only a big day for Bellerophon, however. The “Big Guns” of the Marketing and Finance Teams, Ally Drake, Anthony Heulitt, and Baljot Ranu, presented their Business Plan to the judges, outlining the team structure, explaining their SWOT analysis, sharing the team’s exemplary community outreach, and offering a breakdown of the team’s budget and finances.

The onset of Saturday renewed the team’s anticipation, and it only grew as the team won their final Qualification Match, ending with an impressive 8-2 record, clinching 7th seed and a spot as an alliance captain in the finals. It became clear just how intense the Elimination Rounds would be when two of the top teams joined forces. Sensing the mounting challenge, the 4th seeded team requested to partner with Nemesis. The team then had a choice: join an alliance or create their own. Confident in their abilities, Nemesis declined, asking Team 1625 Winnovation from Winnebago, IL and Team 1477 Texas Torque from Woodlands, TX to form an alliance. As a fourth, alternate robot, Nemesis selected Team 3467 Windham Windup Robotics from Windham, NH.

Ironically enough, Nemesis faced the team it had turned down in the quarterfinals. The first match went without a hitch, but the second was a close call-- 232-231. Hearts sank when the team lost its first semifinals match, but the cheering came back in force when Nemesis turned things around and won the remaining matches.

Now in the finals of their division, Nemesis had come farther than the team ever had, only ever advancing to the division quarterfinals. And after two matches, the alliances found themselves tied at 1-1. As the field was reset, team members knew it was now or never. Nemesis would win the division and advance to Einstein or all would be over. As the bell rang and the match started, team members watched as the alliances stayed neck and neck. With a minute to go, Nemesis suddenly pulled into the lead, one goal ahead of their opponents. The match seemed a sure win until, in the last 10 seconds, the opponent’s score jumped, eclipsing that of Nemesis.

The audience waited as the referees deliberated as the team wondered what had happened. Were foul points awarded to the alliance? How had the score gone up so quickly? For 5 interminable minutes, Nemesis anxiously anticipated the official score, when suddenly the head referee had an announcement.

“After reviewing, we have determined it was a clean match. The following is the official score.”

All heads turned toward the screen to see 285-273 in favor of Nemesis. Cheering erupted around the stands as Nemesis celebrated their victory with their alliance partners. At the Awards Ceremony held shortly after, the teams were declared the Archimedes Champions. Nemesis was also presented the Entrepreneurship Award for their comprehensive Business Plan.

“In my past four years on the team, I’ve been lucky enough to win awards for our business teams alongside experienced upperclassmen at district and regional events. Winning at the World Championship brought a deeper meaning to my work, as I was compared to other students at a global level. In the end, alongside my friends and teammates Anthony Heulitt and Ally Drake, we were able to win the Entrepreneurship Award out of 100 other teams,” explained Baljot Ranu, Chief Business Officer.

The day wasn’t over, however, and Dean Kamen, the founder of FIRST, had a surprise for the audience as the 4 winning alliances set up on the Einstein field. Will.I.Am of the Black Eyed Peas, a strong supporter of FIRST and frequent guest at the World Champs, gave a performace to conclude the Closing Ceremonies, as well as former X-Factor contestant Rachel Crow.

Although they put in a solid performance, Nemesis’ journey came to an end on Einstein. The team finshed as semifinalist overall, officially putting Team 2590 on the map as one of the foremost teams in the world.

“I don’t think any of us expected to advance as far as we did, but I couldn’t think of a better way to end my four years with Nemesis,” said CEO and driver Josh Falk.

Last weekend Robbinsville’s FIRST Robotics Team 2590 Nemesis added another win to their season with their victory at the Mid Atlantic Robotics (MAR) Championships.

Lehigh University’s Stabler Arena, a venue typically filled with the sounds of bouncing basketballs and squeaking sneakers, instead rang with shouts “Robot coming through!” and the noise of power tools as 55 teams set to work in their designated pit areas. Thursday April 10th marked the beginning of the MAR Championships, and teams from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware who had qualified to compete spent the day preparing for the Friday start of Qualification Matches.

Every January, the organization FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) announces a new challenge for teams around the world to complete with their very own robot. This year’s game, Aerial Assist, is played 3 versus 3, the objective being to place a ball into a floor goal or to shoot for the high-scoring goal. An emphasis is placed on cooperation, with 10 points added to an alliance’s score for each assist.

In six short weeks, Nemesis was able to create Bellerophon, an agile, sharp-shooting robot. Team members first designed the robot entirely using CAD software, then worked to bring their creation to life. Most parts were constructed in the Technology Lab of Robbinsville High School using the CNC Mill and Router. Any parts too large to be crafted in the lab, however, were made by local sponsors per the student’s specifications. Sporting a claw and a spring-powered linear punch shooter, Bellerophon was designed to swiftly grab balls and launch them into the high-scoring goal.

The first day of competition, however, was fraught with difficult matchups for Team Nemesis. Despite presenting a consistently rigorous offense, and Bellerophon’s first five matches left the team with a record of 2-3. The less-than-auspicious start to the competition was disheartening, but Nemesis rallied, and thanks to their superb Drive Team (seniors Josh Falk and Antonio Papa, sophomore Christian Gavalchin, and mentor Scott Meredith), the team won the remaining matches on Friday.

Despite the turnaround at the end of the day, however, Nemesis still hadn’t climbed into the top eight, the robots who would captain their own hand-picked alliance in the finals. Heading into competition Saturday morning, the team knew they had a lot to prove. After ending the season ranked as the first robot in MAR, Team Nemesis was ready to fight for the title of champion. And sure enough, Friday morning saw victory after victory for Nemesis, who gradually worked their way up the rankings. By the conclusion of the Qualification Matches, Team 2590 sported a solid record of 9-3, grabbing 7th seed.

Due to their high rank, Nemesis reserved the right to select two teams to join them in the Elimination Matches, a series of matchup where best two out of three would advance to the next round. For their first partner, Nemesis picked another skilled offensive robot, Team 11 MORT from Mount Olive, New Jersey. To round out the alliance, they selected Team 341 Miss Daisy from Wissahickon, Pennsylvania, a strong defensive robot.

The trio made a fantastic alliance, and the quarter- and semi-finals proved no problem for the three teams. Easily winning the first two matchups in both rounds, the alliance powered into the finals. But it was in the first finals match that the winning streak came to a crashing halt: Miss Daisy’s robot stopped moving early on after a run-in with an opposing robot. Short one team member and unable to rack up all three assists, the alliance had a heartbreaking loss of 241-195.

As soon as the buzzer signaled the end of the match, Miss Daisy called a timeout, team members rushing onto the field to assess the damage and see what caused the mishap. It appeared that after being hit, a wire was knocked loose, leaving the robot at a dead standstill.

The problem rectified, the field was reset and the countdown began for the next match. At the sound of the buzzer, the crowd began to cheer, only to see Miss Daisy come to a halt again after a few seconds. Hearts dropped and students exchanged worried looks as the match unfolded, again played two against three. Despite the clear disadvantage, Nemesis and MORT valiantly played the match, and at the conclusion, all heads turned anxiously toward the screen where the final score would be displayed. Serving as proof that every point truly counts, the score was revealed to be the closest of the entire competition-- Nemesis nabbed the win with a score of 176-175.

Still alive and in the competition, the teams once again made a beeline for the field, this time truly under pressure. The alliance's only timeout already used, there were precious few minutes to fix Miss Daisy. And the question remained: would they break again? The second match was too close, and the alliance couldn’t risk another match outnumbered.

After a quick investigation, it was found that the problem was a communication fluke, and the field was reset for one last match. As the points continued to climb, it became clear that it would be a close match. Nemesis, MORT, and Miss Daisy worked as a well-oiled machine, and thankfully, all three continued to function perfectly. It was a hard fought match, both sides knowing it was winner-takes-all, but after the buzzer, the 226-182 score named Nemesis, MORT, and Miss Daisy the MAR champions.

“It’s really satisfying; after spending six weeks practically living in the Tech Lab building the robot, winning with it makes the hard work all worth the effort,” enthused Mehaa Gupta, a junior Build Team member.

In addition to their blue Winner’s banner, Nemesis collected the Industrial Design Award, recognizing Bellerophon as a superbly designed robot that efficiently addressed the Aerial Assist challenge.

“It was a great way to end our season in MAR, especially seeing as it’s my senior year. I’m really proud of how far the team has come in the past four years,” said Jenna Mollica, the Build Team’s Chief Technical Officer.

Due to their successes at both the Hatboro Horsham and Lenape District Events and their victory at the MAR Championship, Team Nemesis was invited to compete at the World Championship in St. Louis, Missouri. From April 23-26th, 400 FIRST teams from countries all over the world will congregate in the Edward Jones Dome to see who will take the crown and emerge the 2014 World Champions.

“St. Louis is a truly unique experience because we watch competitions from all these foreign countries online, and for this one event, we all come together in one place to not only compete against one another but to see firsthand all the different ways teams designed their robot to complete this year’s challenge,” explained Chief Business Officer Baljot Ranu, who has been to the last two World Championships.

Champions of the Hatboro-Horsham District Event, Robbinsville High School’s FIRST Robotics Team 2590 Nemesis came to the Lenape District Event on Saturday, March 22nd ready to follow up their tremendous success from two weeks prior.

Seneca High School came to life early Saturday morning as teams from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware arrived with their robots, anticipating a weekend of fierce competition. The challenge? Aerial Assist, a game played 3 versus 3, the objective being to place a ball into the floor goal or to shoot for the high-scoring goal. An emphasis is placed on cooperation, with 10 points added to an alliance’s score for each assist.

Bellerophon, Team Nemesis’ 2014 robot, was designed by team members using CAD software, and then constructed using the student’s specifications. Sporting a claw and a spring-powered linear punch shooter, Bellerophon was designed to swiftly grab balls and launch them into the high-scoring goal.

But the team didn’t just build a sharp-shooting robot. According to Parth Mandrekar, a sophomore Build Team member, one of Bellerophon’s biggest assets is “his ability to cooperate with other teams through passing and receiving passes effectively.” And this versatility on the field clearly sets Bellerophon apart from other robots.

Indeed, Bellerophon proved a force to be reckoned with. Although the event had a less than auspicious start, what with two replays of Nemesis’ first match, it wasn’t long before the team picked up steam. Team Nemesis powered its way through the first day of Qualification Matches, sustaining only two losses in nine rounds.

Bellerophon wasn’t the only one under pressure, however. Seniors Julia Borowski, Baljot Ranu and junior Arnav Vast spent Saturday morning with the judges, presenting Nemesis’ 2014 Chairman’s Award. In the world of FIRST Robotics, the Chairman’s Award is the most prestigious honor that can be given to a team, recognizing them as the best model for other teams to emulate. Chairman’s winners not only demonstrate exemplary community outreach and commitment to STEM, they best embody the purpose of FIRST. And this event saw Nemesis pitted against 19 other teams from across three states. After rehearsing until the presentation was just right, the team had only to wait for the concluding Awards Ceremony on Sunday.

Moving forward, day two of the competition saw even more success for Team Nemesis, who won all of their remaining Qualification Matches. Blazing through the competition, Nemesis captured 1st seed, boasting an impressive record of 10-2. During Alliance Selection, Nemesis elected to captain Team 1640 Sa-BOT-age from Downingtown, PA and Team 223 Xtreme Heat from Wanaque, NJ.

It certainly didn’t take long for the competition to heat up, though. The gaps between final scores were closing, with sometimes only a few points securing an alliance a victory. Although Nemesis moved through the quarter-finals unscathed, they sustain a loss in the semi-finals during a best two-of-three match up, with a nail biting final score of 147-146. Team 341 Miss Daisy from Wissahickon, PA presented a strong defense, shadowing Bellerophon the entire match in an attempt to curtail Nemesis’ score. With victory nearly in reach, Nemesis kicked it into high gear, fighting for their spot in the finals. It was hard-won, but Nemesis triumphed in the following two matches, securing their alliance a spot in the finals.

But as the spectators in the stands cheered for Nemesis’ win, the team in the pits discovered a problem. A particularly nasty collision in the previous match had damaged Bellerophon’s wiring, rendering him unable to shoot. With mere minutes between matches, the team had no time to repair, and all out of timeouts, Nemesis was forced to enter the finals sans a shooter.

Bellerophon immediately adopted the role of the defensive robot, attempting to hinder the opposing alliance’s offense. But with two offensive robots taking on three, the gap in alliance points grew too quickly. The other alliance took first one match then the other, and Team Nemesis and their alliance partners were named District Finalists.

Although the loss in the finals was disappointing, the entire team was proud of emerging Finalists in such a competitive event. The day wasn’t over yet, however. As the judges transitioned into the Awards Ceremony, the team began to grow anxious with anticipation. Members from the Marketing and Finance teams glanced at each other, wondering if this could be it.

“Congratulations to the 2014 Lenape District Event Chairman’s Award winners… Team 2590 Nemesis!”

The stands burst into applause and hugs were exchanged as the team’s Chairman’s Award video began to play on the big screen.

“Winning the Chairman's Award is incomparable to any other award in FIRST. When I see our team name displayed on that screen in front of the entire arena as the winner, I feel immensely proud because this award is a true confirmation of the hard work we've done together, from the build team's countless hours spent building a winning robot to the Marketing and Finance Teams' endless editing of our business plan,” expressed Baljot Ranu, the Chief Business Officer.

Nemesis’ next competition will be the Mid Atlantic Robotics Championships held at Lehigh University Stabler Arena from April 10th through 12th. Admission is free to all.

Hot off the heels of their six-week Build Season, Robbinsville FIRST Robotics Team 2590 Nemesis arrived at Hatboro-Horsham High School ready to impress.

Following the stream of students and robots, Team Nemesis made their way to the pits, down a hallway filled with the sounds of power tools at work amidst yells of “Robot coming through!” Saturday, March 1st marked the beginning of Competition Season, and forty FIRST Robotics teams from New Jersey, Delaware, and eastern Pennsylvania flocked to the Hatboro-Horsham District Event for a chance to show off their creations. This year’s game, Aerial Assist, would be played 3 versus 3, the objective being to place a ball into the floor goal or to shoot for the high-scoring goal. An emphasis was placed on cooperation, with 10 points added to an alliance’s score for each assist.

Nemesis’ new robot, Bellerophon, was designed by team members using CAD software, and then constructed using the student’s specifications. Sporting a claw and a spring-powered linear punch shooter, Bellerophon was designed to swiftly grab balls and launch them into the high-scoring goal.

The articulate design paid off, as Nemesis instantly shot to first seed during the beginning of Qualification Rounds. Bellerophon proved to be an unstoppable offensive robot, and Nemesis seemed poised to end the day with an undefeated record. Their winning streak came to a crashing halt, however, when Bellerophon’s claw broke after a run in with particularly zealous defensive robots.

In a rush of adrenaline, Bellerophon was raced back to Nemesis’ pit, where team members immediately set to work removing the broken claw. The good news: the team had the time and resources to build a second practice robot during Build Season equipped with a fully functioning arm. The bad news: swapping out the claws would take time, a luxury the team wasn’t afforded. While Nemesis worked diligently to fix Bellerophon, two of the team’s matches came and went. Short a robot, Nemesis’ alliances lost, and the team dropped to second seed with a record of 7-2.

Not all of the action was taking place on the field, however. Back in the pits, members from Nemesis’ Marketing and Finance Teams presented their Business Plan to FIRST judges, outlining the team structure, explaining their SWOT analysis, sharing the team’s exemplary community outreach, and offering a breakdown of the team’s budget and finances.

Despite the Saturday setback, Nemesis entered Day Two of the competition even more determined to claim first seed. By the time the team’s first match of the day was called, Bellerophon was fully functional and ready for action. Picking up steam once again, Nemesis won all their remaining Qualification matches, clinching first seed with an overall record of 10-2.

 As the first seed, Nemesis was named an alliance captain and given the chance to pick two teams to join them going into Elimination Rounds. The first picked, Team 341 Miss Daisy from Ambler, PA, would add a strong defense, while Team 272 Cyber-Crusaders from Lansdale, PA was chosen to round out the alliance. The crowds cheered and roared as the alliance worked as a single, well-oiled machine, tearing through the Elimination Rounds undefeated, claiming first place.

Amidst the team’s celebration of their victory, the judges quickly transitioned into the Awards Ceremony. In addition to the coveted blue Winner Banner, Nemesis was awarded the Entrepreneurship Award for their comprehensive Business Plan.

“While winning the competition was an honor, it was nice to have the Business Team recognized for their continuous hard work as well. Horsham was definitely a victory for the entire team,” said Karla Dimatulac, the Director of Marketing.

Nemesis’ outstanding performance at Hatboro-Horsham will count towards their standings in the Mid-Atlantic Robotics Region (MAR). 

Their next competition, the Lenape District Event on March 22-23, is free admission for all fans. 

Nemesis is now Facebook official.

On Saturday, Nemesis joined the world of Facebook, garnering an impressive 230 “likes” in less than 12 hours. Friends, family, and fans of Nemesis now have even further access to the team through their new profile. Team members will be frequently updating the page, so be sure to go “like” Nemesis 2590 for the latest news.

It takes more than a snowstorm to derail Nemesis. Despite the inclement weather, Robbinsville High School’s Technology Lab opened her doors to corporate America, leaving the visitors quite impressed with FIRST Robotics Team 2590.

This past Thursday, Team Nemesis took a break from their hectic Build Season to host their second annual Sponsor Networking Night, an event planned as an opportunity to give back to the sponsors who are so vital to the team’s continued success. Financing the construction of a competition robot is no small task, and it is essential to maintain steady revenue. A seven year establishment now, Nemesis was initially founded with a start-up grant from NASA. In order to sustain the team, students rely upon donations from local businesses and corporate sponsors.

“As a team, we prioritize our sponsors. We make sure they know how much we truly appreciate their continued support throughout the seasons,” expressed Karla Dimatulac, the Director of Marketing.

The event had an impressive turn-out, with Robbinsville Superintendent Dr. Steven Mayer,  Robbinsville Mayor David Fried, Assemblyman Daniel Benson, Assemblyman Wayne DeAngelo, and New Jersey Senator Linda Greenstein in attendance, along with Nemesis’ returning and newfound sponsors alike.

Sponsor Networking Night is one way to guarantee sponsors are kept up-to-date on all things Nemesis. The team is run as a technical company, with the business-savvy students in the Marketing and Finance sectors acting as a contact point between the team and their sponsors. Members of the Finance Team contact potential sponsors through cold calls, while the Marketing Team ensures all donors are kept apprised of Nemesis’ progress throughout the season.

“What impresses me is the way everyone on this team has a role. As I say, the Robbinsville students are definitely at the top of their game,” says Senator Greenstein on Team Nemesis.

Team members Julia Borowski, Baljot Ranu, and Parth Mandrekar started the evening with a presentation detailing the accomplishments of the 2013 season, including the team’s two regional victories, their trip to the World Championships, and the win of the coveted Chairman’s Award. In recognition of their outstanding generosity, each sponsor was awarded a personalized certificate created by the Design Team. To conclude the presentation, the team gave a preview of the 2014 FIRST Challenge, Aerial Assist, and the robot currently under construction.

Afterwards, Build Team offered a tour of the Technology Lab and demonstrated Athena, the 2013 Frisbee-shooting robot. Athena was a hit with the visitors, and sponsors even tried their hand at driving the agile, sharp-shooting robot. Most importantly, the companies were presented the opportunity to network alongside each other.

“Team Nemesis and dedicated mentors went all out to make their sponsors and dignified guests feel welcomed and appreciated during the Sponsor Networking Night.  It was an enjoyable evening and it was a pleasure to network with other prominent businessmen and elected officials,” said Ms. Marie Thadal, a representative from the New York Society of Cosmetic Chemists and Coptis, two of Nemesis’ generous sponsors.