STEM Education: Thank You for Bringing the World Together!

We did it! Thank you to all those who supported Team Mauritius as our young team members competed in the sixth edition of FIRST Global’s international event. STEM Education has a platform to call home!

Despite the many challenges teams faced, youth from around the world came together to celebrate the beauty of STEM innovation, collaboration and working together to make our world a better place. Check out the photos and videos below for a taste of the excitement!

You can find awards information here. Stay tuned for the entire event recap video, team rankings, and more in the coming weeks.

Opening Ceremony of FIRST Global Challenge 2022

Lam Research’s $10 Million Donation to FIRST Global

Lam Research is a leading global supplier of innovative wafer fabrication equipment and services to the semiconductor industry. As part of the company’s commitment to enabling transformative learning worldwide, Lam Research has announced a $10 million donation to FIRST Global. The contribution, distributed over a three-year period, will help elevate and amplify Lam’s commitment to cultivating diverse future talent in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Richard Gottscho, Lam’s executive vice president and chief technology officer announced the donation onstage during the Awards and Closing Ceremony.

“FIRST Global enables transformative learning on a world stage,” said Gottscho. “The competition is an important opportunity to showcase and foster the critical thinking required to address the challenges facing our industry and, more broadly, society. Lam is proud to team up with FIRST Global to excite and inspire tomorrow’s innovators and semiconductor technologists.”

Intel Partnered for a 2023 Student Maker Cohort Focused on Neural Code Innovation

Intel is an industry leader, creating world-changing technology that enables global progress and enriches lives. Intel is sponsoring a Student Maker Cohort to create a community for shared learning between industry leaders, technologists, and the next generation of student makers.

In January 2023, Intel will announce the details of their sponsored Student Maker Cohort. FIRST Global participants will be introduced to a novel way to deploy computer vision using technology that replicates the way the retina of a human eye processes visual information. Students will have the opportunity to learn and use this breakthrough approach developed by Dr Sheila Nirenberg, by applying its merits to robotic navigation.

“A critical component of innovation is shared learning,” said Stacey Shulman, Vice President of Network and Edge, General Manager of Health, Education, and Consumer Industries Division. “We are excited to include programming that provides students with opportunities to virtually meet Dr. Nirenberg, mentorship from engineers, and software tools to explore new ways to solve AI problems, including learning how the retina and brain solve similar problems.”

Details are to be shared in January 2023, including additional maker kit materials and a program schedule where they will engage in design thinking, organized learning, and mentorship.

Revolutionary & Affordable New Robotics System Makes Debut at 2022 FIRST Global Challenge

Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), in partnership with DEKA Research and Development Corp., unveiled the XRP (Experiential Robotics Platform). This new robotic platform is poised to be a game changer for the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math) education pipeline for generations to come.

The XRP robots, still in beta form, are simple, inexpensive, easy to build, and just as programmable as a far more expensive robot. The XRP robots have built-in educational and software support, designed to operate autonomously, perform basic tasks, navigate independently, sense distance, and manipulate their environment. The simple, tool-free assembly allows for a quick build, and parts can be replaced easily with a 3-D printer. When they come to market next year, the 7 inches by 5 inches, weighing less than 1 lb. (17.78 cm by 12.7 cm, .45 km) — about the size of a box of chocolates — will cost less than $50.

All FIRST Global teams were provided a free XRP robot to take back to their home countries to share with other schools or organizations interested in implementing or expanding robotics programs.