Inspired Youth, Inspire You: The FIRST Student Point Of View
May 17, 2022
Desert WAVE (Women in Autonomous Vehicle Engineering) is a collegiate robotics team made up of FIRST® alumni. Based out of the Si Se Puede Foundation STEM Center in Chandler, Arizona, this team recently faced off against 41 other teams from eight countries at the 27th International RoboSub Competition – and won first place.
Thanks to their dedication and passion for STEAM, these Arizona State University students went from participating in FIRST as middle school and high school students, to becoming the first all-women robotics team to win first place in this prestigious competition.
As the winners of the International RoboSub Competition, these students, as well as other competing teams, had to create robotic submarines, also known as Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUV’s). This competition mimics real-life usage of AUV’s that are currently used for seafloor mapping, underwater exploration, sonar localization, and so much more. Keep reading to learn more about Desert WAVE and the #PeopleofSTEAM who make up this award-winning team.
2024 Team Desert WAVE from Arizona State University
Founded in 2018 by Arizona State Faculty Member Dr. Dan Frank and Falcon Robotics alumni and co-founder Faridodin Lajvardi, Desert WAVE was created with the goal of entering the RoboSub Competition. Falcon Robotics was a revolutionary team – proving that students with limited access to resources in rural Arizona have everything it takes to become highly-skilled and innovative engineers. Their triumphs would pave the path for Desert WAVE to learn and grow in their own ways.
Once founded, the team got to work dissecting Falcon Robotics’ old AUV, learning what each part does and how to use the various pieces to build an AUV of their own. After several years of impactful community outreach and creating unforgettable robots like Phoenix (affectionately named after being created from Falcon Robotics’ old parts), Desert WAVE set a new standard in the 2024 competition.
One of the few teams to utilize two robots underwater, Desert WAVE designed two AUV’s to complete the competition course – launching torpedoes, identifying colors, traveling through the entirety of the pool, and more – entirely without human intervention or command. Named Dragon and Baby Dragon, these two AUV’s were designed to work in perfect tandem.
Dragon is a bigger more complex machine, while Baby Dragon is much smaller, more light-weight, and meant to do specific tasks. Throughout the course, the two AUV’s communicated back and forth, allowing Desert WAVE to complete tasks faster and with greater accuracy.
Dragon (top, red) and Baby Dragon (bottom left, white)
Dr. Frank had this to say about Desert WAVE: “FIRST provided these students with the foundation they needed to feel confident in engineering. It helped them find their voice and learn how to advocate for themselves and others. By seeing their unique perspectives as a strength, they were able to find innovative solutions to problems that others overlooked, giving them the edge to earn first place in one of the toughest robotics competitions there is."
In a news article about their triumphant victory, many of the team members expressed their dedication to robotics and engineering. As a first-generation college student, one team member, Jaqueline Villanueva Castro, shared that she had to explain the importance of robotics to her parents and her reasoning for wanting to pursue a STEAM career. Another first-generation student, Paulina Garibay said, "For me, I have to figure out what I want to do and how to do it. That's what has really helped me and this group has also been a part of that."
Undeterred from any obstacles they faced, each team member in Desert WAVE overcame incredible challenges as they worked towards this outstanding achievement. Litzi Matancillas, the mechanic lead on the team, was quoted as saying, "A lot of people didn't believe that an all-women's team could do it. Winning first place, we were able to show we could actually do anything we set our minds to.” With their passion, dedication, hard work, and skills they learned from FIRST, Desert WAVE was able to secure a triumphant win. Not only in the competition – but for their future.
Team Desert WAVE proves that STEAM skills can carry you as far as you want to take them. From an inspiring educational path, to winning an international collegiate robotics competition, when you start with FIRST you can #GetAnywhere.
Are you a person of STEAM? Share your story with #PeopleofSTEAM on social media or send us your story at marketing@firstinspires.org.