Demonstrating FIRST at Sharon Elementary School!

As the 250 fourth graders of Sharon Elementary School piled into the auditorium, heads were straining to see what the commotion was all about. Standing at the front of the room, Robbinsville High School’s FIRST Robotics Team Nemesis 2590 was ready to present two of their award-winning robots, Eris and Daedalus.

The room went silent and the children’s eyes widened as they saw the robots come to life.     

Nemesis fulfilled the children’s curiosity about how such phenomena exist by explaining how the team builds a robot in such a short time, hosts various fundraisers, and partakes in community outreach programs. Additionally, team members spoke about the history of Nemesis and what it aspires to achieve in the future. 

After this, students were provided with an opportunity to see the robots up close and challenge the robots in various games.

The children clamored as they watched their classmates try to throw more balls into a bucket than Eris, the robot.  The objective of this game was to throw as many small balls as possible into a bucket. 

Once the time began, students were focused on one mission: scoring every shot. Shouts of encouragement were heard as each student stepped up. As the time ticked down,  students began to rush, fearing a loss. In the end, the selected 11 students combined to score fourteen balls. 

Eris, Nemesis's 2017 competition robot, then had a minute to try and score more balls than the students. Eris collected several accolades during its 2017 season including a first place banner at the Mid-Atlantic Region District Championships. At the demo, driver Griffin David maneuvered Eris with ease, shooting balls out at a high velocity and finishing the challenge with 17 balls in the garbage can! Although the students lost the challenge, they were amazed by the speed and accuracy of Eris’s shooting.

Despite this loss, the fourth graders held their heads up high and began the next game. The second game involved picking another set of 11 fourth graders. Instead of Eris, the 2016 competition robot Daedalus was the opponent. The second game was shotput; in this game, students had to launch a larger ball to a designated target, and the group who hit the target the most would be crowned as the victor.

After the one minute timer elapsed, the students were able to score consistently. Next, Daedalus was tasked with matching the students’ extraordinary performance. After a slow start, Daedalus quickly picked up the pace, shooting balls faster and more accurately. Sadly, Daedulus could not catch up to the unprecedented students, who were deemed victorious. 

As students stood up and cheered, the demonstration came to an end. Team members and mentors began packing and saying their goodbyes to the fourth graders. The school bell rang as students left the school with a meaningful moment to look back. Many team members were reminiscent of their time that they attended Sharon Elementary School. All in all, Nemesis 2590 was able to provide the fourth grade class with an insight into the world of STEM.

Nemesis 2590 would like to thank its sponsors: 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.