The month of May was a busy one for the TABC STEM program! Firstly, TABC hosted its first annual STEM Showcase on Thursday, May 16, at which every student in those classes presented their end-of-year projects, with an audience of families and fellow students in attendance. Students in Shlomo Anapolle’s biomedical sciences course presented their research studies and experimental designs, demonstrating the skills they’ve gained as independent learners and researchers, as well as their mastery of advanced and relevant science topics. Students presented on topics ranging from sports-related injuries to the hazards of pollution. Students in Aryeh Tiefenbrunn and John Vahedi’s principles of engineering courses showed their capstone projects, which are invention prototypes that are fully conceptualized and designed by the students.
Students came up with their invention by identifying a need or a problem in the world around them and developing a solution using skills they’ve developed over the course of the school year. One outstanding invention was a device installed on toilets, capable of detecting the color and concentration of urine and notifying the user if they are dehydrated, created by sophomores Levi Langer, Liev Markovich and David Rabbani. In addition, the TABC Engineering Club presented their arcade cabinet, which they built, wired and programmed over the course of a few months in the MakerSpace, and several students who are not in STEM courses presented independent projects.
The following Sunday, May 19, the principles of engineering students brought out their prototypes once again for the annual CIJE Innovation Day Fair. Students made a strong impression on the judges, presenting 23 total inventions, ranging from recreational and consumer products to household tools, to healthcare and safety products. Freshmen David Basseches, Ezra Becker and Andy Rosenberg created a small-scale model of a remote-controlled vehicle that shoots water when it detects heat, designed to allow firemen to clear a path into a burning building while limiting the risk of burns and injuries. Sophomores Itai Hudes, Harry Meister and Benzion Rotblat invented a device that can identify pills by measuring the pill’s color and weight, relying on user input to identify any markings on the pill and then using those characteristics to search a database for a pill that matches the description. Freshmen Zachary Gibber, Josh Orlinsky and Eli Saks outfitted a car seat cushion and seatbelt with lights that turn on when it’s dark out, making it easier to find the buckle at night.
And on Wednesday, May 29, the TABC Robotics Team (consisting of Aharon Ahdoot, Mendel Aizikovitch, Ezra Baron, Akiva Escott, Yaron Gerszberg, Itai Hudes and David Reese) participated in the first ever CIJE Robotics Competition! The team was tasked with building a robot that was capable of moving around, picking up tennis balls and shooting them into a mini basketball hoop. Although scoring baskets was the primary way to score points, robots could also earn points by moving balls into their corner and ensuring that they stayed there till the end of each match. The TABC team brought two robots, one of which, despite not working optimally, earned the distinction of being one of only two robots at the competition that could actually take accurate shots. The pusher robot, however, made it to the semi-final round of the competition before being eliminated.
