Concerned about feeding your puppy when you leave for work, school, or vacation? The “PupBot,” a robot designed by 11th graders at Ma’ayanot, has you covered. The team won first place for their programmable, pet-friendly device at New York University’s ITEST InnoVention Competition, held at NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering in Manhattan on May 22.
The excitement leading up to the competition began last summer, when Ma’ayanot STEAM teachers Reyce Krause and Aryeh Tiefenbrunn attended a four-week intensive in robotics and entrepreneurship at NYU. Tiefenbrunn applied those skills to develop the curriculum for the 11th grade STEAM elective at Ma’ayanot, which culminated with the iTest competition.
During the school year, NYU provided each participating school with a robotics kit that included basic materials and challenged the students to conceptualize a fresh, innovative idea to program their robot to perform certain behaviors. “It was very rewarding to see the group of eight students collaborating in such a meaningful and productive way with a strong sense of camaraderie,” said Mr. Tiefenbrunn.
The students brainstormed several ideas, including a “Chip & Dip” robot that would pass around snacks during a party, or a “Disco Ball” robot. Ultimately, they agreed on the PupBot, which is programmed to provide food and water to a puppy while its owner is away.
At the competition, the students showed a short video commercial of their product, gave a brief presentation to a panel of judges and expertly answered their questions. They competed against seven other schools, including the Yeshiva of Flatbush and six New York public schools. The first prize for Ma’ayanot’s PupBot includes a paid summer internship for a student to attend NYU’s Tandon School of Engineering over the summer, working with startup incubators to learn about their products. “The student will have the unique experience of learning about the process of developing a start-up,” said Tiefenbrunn. “We couldn’t be any prouder.” Upon completing the internship and composing a summary report, the student will earn a $1,000 scholarship.
