4 Student Robotics Teams Innovating to Make a Real-World Impact

What starts as a moment of ingenuity can often grow into something world changing. From exploring the depths of the ocean, improving cell preservation and research, and designing solutions for astronauts in space, FIRST^® and FIRST Global students are turning bold ideas into inventions that tackle real-world challenges. This Kid Inventors Day (January 17), we’re celebrating the power of young minds and the impact of building STEM skills early. Read on to discover how four teams are using what they’ve learned through FIRST to shape the world around them, below them, and beyond. 

FIRST Team “Energy Wizards” Expands Oceanic Research Possibilities 

During the 2024–2025 FIRST^® DIVE^℠ season, the “Energy Wizards” from Peoria, Illinois, went beyond the classroom, collaborating with ocean experts to sharpen their underwater innovation. 

The team developed the Underwater Sample Line (USL), a system that continuously delivers collected samples to a research vessel while a remotely operated vehicle remains submerged and on mission. By using the existing tether as a zip-line, the USL rapidly transports samples to the surface, saving valuable time and resources as researchers explore the depths of the ocean. 

The “Energy Wizards” have applied to patent their invention and were named finalists for the Innovation Impact Award at the 2025 FIRST Championship in Houston. Their work shows how young innovators can problem-solve to help shape the future of ocean exploration.

FIRST Global Team UAE “The Emirates” Makes Strides in Cryopreservation 

The 2025 FIRST Global season, Eco Equilibrium, challenged students worldwide to harness emerging technologies to protect biodiversity and promote sustainability through the New Technology Experience (NTE). Rising to the moment, Team UAE, The Emirates, earned Gold for their project Short-Term Alginate Semipermeable Hydrogels (STASH) – a system that preserves living cells for three to five days without freezing, electricity, or cold-chain logistics and vastly improves sample collection and research. 

Developed by eight students ages fourteen to seventeen, STASH stands out for its accessibility, sustainability, and global relevance. By removing costly infrastructure barriers, the team envisions a future where scientists, conservationists, and educators can collaborate to protect life on Earth. 

And The Emirates are just getting started! The team is expanding experimental testing, composing a research paper, refining their AI model for microscopic image analysis, and partnering with local laboratories to conduct ongoing material strength testing. Looking ahead, Team UAE plans to move toward commercialization by developing a market-ready STASH field kit and forming partnerships with research, conservation, and educational organizations to scale the technology’s real-world impact. 

FIRST Global Team Colombia Innovates for Wetlands Protection 

Empowering more than fifty students to become problem-solvers and changemakers, Team Colombia is expanding what’s possible through the FIRST Global Challenge. Based in Palmira, Colombia, the team also supports FIRST^® Tech Challenge Team 21571 “Andes Robotics TC” and FIRST^® Robotics Competition Team 9087 “STEMAchines,” uniting students ages five to eighteen around innovation and impact. 

At the 2025 FIRST Global Challenge, Team Colombia earned a Bronze Award in the NTE for RENOVA, an innovation designed to address the growing threats to the world’s wetlands. By targeting the preservation of these critical ecosystems, RENOVA demonstrates how student-led technologies can move beyond the classroom and into solutions that safeguard biodiversity and environmental resilience. 

FIRST Team “Heschel RoboHawks” Brings Circadian Rhythm to Space 

What began as curiosity in third grade became a patented invention before high school graduation. During the 2018-2019 FIRST^® LAUNCH^℠ season, “Herschel RoboHawks” transformed their STEM skills into “Pinacal,” a light therapy device designed to help astronauts regulate disrupted sleep cycles in space. By adjusting light exposure, the device supports the body’s natural release of serotonin and melatonin, helping restore healthy day and night rhythms. 

In 2019, the team earned a United States patent for their work, but their momentum didn’t stop there! Team members were invited to participate in NASA HUNCH (High Schools United with NASA to Create Hardware) and became the first high school students to present a project and poster at the NASA Human Research Program Investigators’ Workshop. Through curiosity, determination, and teamwork, these students prove that what you learn through FIRST can take you to new heights. 

Interested in learning more about how FIRST inspires innovation? Learn more.