Celebrating National Kid Inventor’s Day

Inventors of all ages play a critical role in creating the breakthroughs of tomorrow and improving our quality of life. For nearly 20 years, FIRST^® and Qualcomm Incorporated have been working together to inspire and engage future innovators by expanding access to STEM and innovation programming.

Using robotics competitions as the vehicle, FIRST programs help students channel their raw curiosity to think critically and seek ways to improve the world around them. 

As a world-leading technology innovator, Qualcomm brings unique industry expertise and invaluable resources to FIRST students around the world, empowering them to harness their creativity. In celebration of National Kid Inventor’s Day (January 17), we’re catching up with three Qualcomm-mentored teams: FIRST^® Robotics Competition Team 1690 “Orbit,” FIRST^® Tech Challenge Team 11212 “The Clueless,” and FIRST^® LEGO^® League Challenge Team 6675 “The Giga Bears” to hear about their journeys as young innovators.

FIRST Robotics Competition Team 1690 "Orbit"

FIRST Staff: How has being part of a FIRST team made you a better innovator?

Team Orbit: “From creative thinking skills to technical manufacturing and inventing skills, FIRST programs allow us to learn how to innovate. We learn many technical skills, such as manufacturing, coding, planning and modeling skills. Skills such as leadership, working well in a team and creating a proper working environment are learnt by working to a common goal as a team.” 

Team Clueless: “FIRST has taught us that nothing is perfect on the first attempt. From this, we’ve developed the grit to design and redesign (and redesign), the collaborative skills to rely on each other, and the resilience to not let our failures limit us. Rather, we turn our failures into lessons, allowing us to construct more robust designs and evolve our robot throughout the season.”

Team Giga Bears: “Being part of a FIRST team has made us better innovators by inspiring us to think outside the box, be more creative and not to be afraid to tackle significant problems. We have gained a better understanding and mindset about what innovation is and how we can play a part in it. We have acquired a higher comfort level sharing our ideas and advocating for them.”

FIRST LEGO League Team 6675 "The Giga Bears"

FIRST Staff: What innovation skills have you been able to build and apply in your everyday life?

Team Orbit: “FIRST has instilled a solution-oriented mindset. We can break down complex problems and develop innovative solutions, which we apply in group projects and community initiatives.” 

Team Clueless: “CAD/building/software, design process, documentation, fundraising and event organization, and public speaking.”

Team Giga Bears: “One of the skills we learned is perseverance. When something does not work the first time keep trying until you get it right.”

FIRST Tech Challenge Team 11212 "The Clueless"

FIRST Staff: What innovative solutions has your team developed to make an impact in your community? 

Team Orbit: “As FIRST Robotics Competition members, we mentor FIRST Tech Challenge and FIRST LEGO League Challenge teams, who in turn mentor younger FIRST LEGO League Explore teams. This program not only expands STEM education opportunities in our area but also allows us to share our expertise and inspire the next generation of innovators. Through these efforts, we're fostering a sustainable culture of innovation and community engagement.”

Team Clueless: “By partnering with NASA and the All Girls STEM Society, we’ve started the first NASA Astro Camp in San Diego where underrepresented kids have the opportunity to meet NASA scientists and experience hands-on activities based on the NASA Astro Camp education modules.” 

Team Giga Bears: “In 2023 we created "Robo Picasso" a robotic arm that can draw. The goal was to create a robotic arm that could draw through voice activation to assist people who have limited use of their hands.” 

FIRST Robotics Competition Team 1690 "Orbit"

FIRST Staff: Who is an inventor that inspires you and why?

• An inventor who inspires us is Mark Rober. As a former NASA engineer turned YouTuber, he combines creativity with engineering to engage and educate millions about science and technology.
• Another inspiring figure is Ada Lovelace, recognized as the first computer programmer. Her visionary ideas about computing remind us of the importance of imagination in technology and the potential for groundbreaking advancements.
• Our team idolizes Steve Jobs; his ability to combine art and cutting-edge technology taught us the importance of both functionality and aesthetic in our designs.
• Patricia Bath is an inspirational figure because she is a female who broke into a male-dominated field and a groundbreaking black doctor who discovered and invented a new device and technique for cataract surgery.
• Fredrick Jones created portable refrigeration units that were essential for World War II and helped to transport many items that saved lives.
• We’re also inspired by Garrett Morgan. He helped to keep people safe on the roads and to breathe in areas with dangerous conditions by inventing both the stop light and gas mask.
• Lastly, we admire Dean Kamen, the founder of FIRST. His dedication to inspiring young minds in STEM through innovative programs motivates us to give back to our community and cultivate future inventors.
  

FIRST LEGO League Team 6675 "The Giga Bears"

FIRST Staff: Why do you think it’s important to have an innovative mindset, and how does your mentor empower this mindset?

Team Orbit: “They introduce us to new technologies, engineering principles, and design processes, equipping us with the tools to turn ideas into reality. This combination of encouragement, guidance, and knowledge transfer from our mentors cultivates an environment where innovation thrives, preparing us for future challenges in STEM fields and beyond.”

Team Clueless: “Our innovative mindset makes us constantly look for ways we can help our community. By recognizing issues or areas for improvement, we take action to resolve or mitigate them. Our mentors provide insight and expertise that helps foster innovation based on their past experience.”

Team Giga Bears: “Our mentors empower us to have this mindset by letting us solve problems and give each other ideas which we develop. They encourage us to be innovative on the team which makes us stronger and helps us to enjoy what we are doing even when it can be challenging.”

FIRST Tech Challenge Team 11212 "The Clueless"

FIRST Staff: How do your team members harness each other’s unique skillsets and backgrounds to create better solutions?

Team Orbit: “We recognize that each member brings unique perspectives and talents to the table, whether it's programming knowledge, mechanical understanding, or manufacturing skills. We foster an environment where everyone's ideas are valued and considered. During brainstorming sessions, we encourage all team members to contribute, regardless of their primary role. This mix of ideas often leads to unexpected and effective solutions.” 

Team Clueless: “We encourage every member to be involved in community outreach, picking a problem they see in the community, and working in a smaller team to develop a solution. When it comes to designing competition materials and fundraising, our entire team helps by sending cold emails and writing portions of the portfolio.”

Team Giga Bears: “We enjoy different aspects of robotics, STEM, and innovation and have learned that some of us excel at some parts more than others. When we are able to bring the different parts together we have amazing results. We listen to each other, collaborate, brainstorm, respect and support each other.”

FIRST Staff: Has your team developed an invention?

Team Clueless: “We helped develop a servo with one of our sponsor companies Hitec. Traditional servos only have 3 wires, 1 for signal, 1 for power, and 1 for ground, but this servo included an on-board encoder which outputs to a 4th wire. This encoder allows us to track the specific position of this servo…  This servo was custom-made and our team collaborated with Hitec in the development.”  

Team Giga Bears: “This year we researched and developed a prototype for a drone that works to reduce ocean acidification. Ocean acidification is when the ocean absorbs CO2 from the atmosphere and that CO2 reacts with water molecules making the water more acidic. It is a problem that is often overlooked. Our invention is an underwater drone that stores ground-up eggshells that are dispersed into the water. The eggshells are stored in a biodegradable bag, and the drone is completely safe for marine life.”

FIRST Staff: What does your team hope to invent next?

Team Giga Bears: “We always strive to solve real-world problems that can affect future generations. Some of the things we have thought about include self-writing pens and thermal shoes that can cool or heat feet as you walk.”

Earmuffs, comic book heroes, and the braille system are all creations and solutions invented by kids. Adaptive swim equipment, mattresses, portable water systems, countless apps, a soil measuring device, and much more have all been invented by FIRST participants. With FIRST and Qualcomm inspiring young people to be drivers of positive change, we believe that there will only continue to be more examples of young people using their science and technology skills to build a better world and develop amazing inventions.

Qualcomm is the season presenting sponsor of FIRST^® DIVE^SM, inspiring students around the world to explore and innovate for a better future with healthy oceans. Learn more about FIRST DIVE.