Engineering Archives - The 91Ӱ�� School

Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� Engineers Visit CIJE Startup Nation

Yaelle — Thu, 09 Mar 2023 16:18:30 +0000

Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� engineering students traveled to Israel to participate in CIJE’s Journey to Start Up Nation at the end of February. Students, along with 91Ӱ�� Engineering Program Director Rifkie Silverman, visited innovation hubs, startups, incubators, accelerators and companies making incredible technological advances including Mobileye, Lightricks, Checkpoint, Aleph Farms and more. They were exposed to state-of-the-art innovation in development, in the labs of Israel’s top universities and participated in hands-on workshops. All the while, they interacted with engineers, professors, entrepreneurs and venture capitalists at the forefront of innovation.

Students learned about agritech, fintech, foodtech, cybertech, biomedical tech and how investors choose to invest in emerging technologies.

A special part of the trip was hearing from 91Ӱ�� alumni who, after aliyah, are making significant contributions to Israel’s tech scene. The 91Ӱ�� delegation also enjoyed networking with other Jewish day school students who share their passion about a career in a STEM field.

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Annual Science & Engineering Symposium Highlights Innovation at 91Ӱ��

Yaelle — Tue, 17 May 2022 18:43:37 +0000

Yeshivat 91Ӱ��’s annual Science & Engineering Symposium, dedicated by the Maurice and Hester Lowenthal Foundation in memory of Mitzi and Edward Traurig z”l, took place on May 16, highlighting the skill, creativity and hard work of the hundreds of students taking part in 91Ӱ��’s engineering courses and co-curricular programming.

The evening opened with a keynote address by Daniel Bendavid, a 91Ӱ�� alumnus who shared his journey as former electrical/control systems engineer and current software engineer at Thirty Madison, a digital health company that specializes in treatments for migraines, seasonal allergies and other medical conditions.

Following Bendavid’s address, students had the opportunity to present their projects to their families, friends and community members. Freshmen and sophomores in 91Ӱ��’s Engineering Track presented their capstone projects, which ranged from lifesaving to lightheartedly pragmatic. For example, “THE FEW” Fire Evacuation Window (by Sam Heller, Nili Bickel, Eliana Weinstein and Hunter London) is a home system that automatically opens a window when carbon monoxide is detected, while “Hotscoops” heated spoon (by Avi Sebrow, Gavriel Teigman and Jared Zimbalist) is designed for scooping ice cream with ease. Each capstone project’s picture, description and team was also featured on the Engineering Symposium 2022 website.

Juniors and seniors showcased projects undertaken as part of their advanced Engineering elective courses. This year, electives included Aerial Robotics, Artificial Intelligence and Tikkun Olam Makers. Simultaneously, symposium attendees seeking sports-style entertainment were able to view a robotics competition by 91Ӱ��’s robotics team, the CouGears.

Girls Who Code, an after-school coding club with 40 members, was also represented at the symposium; This year, students learned how to code a snake game using Python Turtle. In addition, Monday’s event featured a new genre of coding projects. This year, 91Ӱ�� embarked on a new initiative: implementing a new Python coding curriculum for all incoming ninth graders. Over the course of the year, students had the opportunity to choose their own projects to work on, with faculty guidance. A number of the freshman coding projects were featured at the symposium, including a zman calculator, a recipe generator and a new Wordle game.

Thanks to Engineering Program Director Rifkie Silverman and Engineering faculty members Travis Merritt and Michael Preston for their invaluable instruction. 91Ӱ��’s student engineers look forward to participating in next week’s CIJE Innovation Day!

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Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� Holds Engineering Symposium and Entrepreneurship Demo Day

Yaelle — Thu, 03 Jun 2021 14:44:54 +0000

Last week, students in our Engineering and Entrepreneurship Tracks capped off the year with two amazing wrap-up events, where they presented their work to friends, faculty and parents. At Entrepreneurship Demo Day, students displayed posters and pitched their startup ideas in front of a panel of judges, describing the problems they identified and their solution, market research and business model. Ideas included SAFE-X, a way to safely remove complex electrical products without needing to hire an electrician; SteerSafe, to help with safer driving; FOCUS, an app to help students focus better in school; and more.

At the annual Engineering Symposium, students got to display and explain their year-long projects, designed to use engineering to fill a human need. This year’s projects included a wildfire detection system; a Braille reader/decoder; a bedtime bear that helps toddlers develop a bedtime routine; a self-stabilizing Gyro Tray to help people with hand tremors (which won the first place CIJE robotics engineering award); and many more! The 91Ӱ�� Engineering Symposium is dedicated by the Maurice and Hester Lowenthal Foundation in memory of Mitzi and Edward Traurig z”l. Prior to the student presentations, attendees had the honor to hear from keynote speaker Dr. Yehudit Abrams, a mechanical engineer, physician and former NASA scientist who founded MonitHer, the first at-home, personal-use monitor for early detection of breast cancer.

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91Ӱ�� FTC Robotics Team Heads to State Championship

Yaelle — Thu, 06 May 2021 17:56:29 +0000

The CouGears, Yeshivat 91Ӱ��’s FTC (First Tech Challenge) Robotics team, is proud to have earned a spot in the NJ State Championship this June, after ranking 11th out of almost 40 teams in the Northern Leagues regional championship held virtually on April 22. There, the team earned a second place award in the Control Award category, which recognizes excellence in coding. The team put together an informative five-minute presentation for the judges and answered a variety of questions in a series of panel interviews over the course of several days.

Only about 30 teams out of several hundred in New Jersey make the state tournament each year. “We are certainly a David among Goliaths, as we are going up against teams that meet for many more hours than we have available with our dual curriculum,” said the team’s faculty coach, Travis Merritt. “I could not be more proud of the work that these students have accomplished.”

Abi Langer ’21 and Eliana Bane ’22 served as senior and junior captains, respectively, guiding and motivating the team through many challenging moments. “After months of hard work and long hours, our little robot, The Shot, successfully accomplished its goal of intaking orange foam disks and spewing them out into a 3ft high goal,” said Langer. “I couldn’t contain my excitement at our whopping point average across 6 matches of 142.2 points. In September, the robot was nothing more than an idea and a jumble of metal and plastic parts, but after many designs and redesigns and re-redesigns our little Shotty did it and we could not be more proud.”

Over the course of the year, the team adapted to an ever changing set of circumstances but persevered through it all to produce a highly effective and reliable robot. To practice, the CouGears worked on their robot in many different locations within 91Ӱ��, and took their field apart and put it back together more times than they could count. The robot is now ready for its fourth iteration as Team #15762 prepares for 91Ӱ��’s first state tournament in school history.

The team extended their thanks to Dr. Shawn Langer, 91Ӱ�� Engineering Program Director Rifkie Silverman and The Gottesman Fund for their critical contributions to the program.

In addition to Langer and Bane, the CouGears FTC team includes Jonathan Katz (programming captain), Ilan Davidovsky (mechanical captain), Eytan Abramowitz (driver and doc specialist), Isaac Badner, Isabelle Bersson, Aaron Goldgewert, Oran Goodman, Joshua Kaplan, Nate Mohl, Jude Shankman, Eitan Traurig and Eitan Weinberg.

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91Ӱ�� CouGears Robotics Team Completes First Match

Yaelle — Thu, 11 Mar 2021 19:16:55 +0000

Robotics at Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� is having a year like none other, with over 50 students attending weekly meetings and forming 11 different teams. The highest level team, the FTC (First Tech Challenge) 91Ӱ�� CouGears team #15762, now in its third year, competes against public and private schools from across the state of New Jersey and recently had its first match of the year.

Navigating COVID-19 has been a unique experience for the team, as they have had to find appropriate space to build the robot and conduct practice matches while safely social distancing. But, as always, the team is proud of its ability to adapt and problem solve. After all, problem solving is the main skill practiced by the team as they design a robot to perform at a high level. After building three different robots this season, the team successfully iterated their design to perform well in scoring points for the team.

“We have grown and developed as a team, each year better and more improved from the last,” said CouGears team member Nate Mohl ‘22. “Our team has worked very hard since September, brainstorming, building and coding a working robot. We saw all of our hard work, long hours and dedication pay off.”

The 91Ӱ�� CouGears held their first official match of the season on February 24. In matches, different schools’ robots compete and score points against each other by shooting rings into goals and moving objects around the playing field. The programming team develops code to move the robot autonomously for a portion of the match and drivers use remote controls to operate the robot the remainder of the time. The CouGears say they look forward to fine tuning their robot even further over the coming weeks, before the next live-streamed match.

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Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� Fab Lab Produces PPE for Frontline Workers

Yaelle — Tue, 12 May 2020 18:00:43 +0000

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, students at Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� spearheaded an effort to use their skills and resources to make PPE (personal protective equipment) for healthcare workers on the front lines. Students realized that some PPE parts that were in short supply at the outbreak of the pandemic could be ‘manufactured’ by desktop 3D printers—which the 91Ӱ�� fab lab had at its disposal. A team of 91Ӱ�� students coordinated with 91Ӱ�� Engineering faculty members Travis Merritt and Michael Preston to retrieve the 3D printers from the 91Ӱ�� fab lab and get to work.

Originally, they printed several different models of designs, but the process was tedious, requiring an 8-hour print to produce just two head bands for face shields. More work would be needed to clean the prints, cut and attach the clear plastic visor and fasten the elastic straps. There had to be another way.

91Ӱ�� senior and engineering student Jonathan Sarasohn conducted research on other prototype ideas, and found a basic design from GimmeBuilds that did not need any 3D printed components. The design could be made with materials purchased from local stores. Sarasohn—whose brother Daniel, a freshman at 91Ӱ��, also participated in the project—engineered modifications to allow the back strap to be adjusted. With this new design, the 91Ӱ�� team was able to produce 100 face shields in the time it would take to 3D print and assemble two complete units. Sarasohn developed a series of written and visual instructions that he shared on the website Instructables, so that any individuals or organizations who wish to help but do not have access to a 3D printer and laser cutter can participate in the effort to bolster the supply of PPE.

As of May 1, the team of 91Ӱ�� students and faculty members had produced and donated over 270 face shield units to Staten Island University Hospital, the Teaneck and Bergenfield Volunteer Ambulance Corps, River Edge Fire Department and other locations. In addition, they have managed to produce the equipment at an impressively low cost. Originally producing the shields for $1.87 each, they recently managed to reduce the cost to just $1.24 per unit.

“It was meaningful to be able to use the skills I have gained through my four years in 91Ӱ��’s engineering program to work on a project that is beneficial to members of our community,” said Jonathan Sarasohn. “Additionally, this project has provided me an interesting opportunity to learn about scaling production. When we started the project, we were 3D printing a majority of the parts, which caused each shield to be expensive and time-consuming. I was able to use my experience through 91Ӱ�� Engineering to combine aspects of several designs and develop a shield that could be effectively manufactured at scale.”

For Sarah Cohen, a junior at 91Ӱ��, there was also a personal reason to get involved. “Being a part of this process was extremely meaningful to me because unfortunately my grandfather was in a medically induced coma due to Covid and my family was unable to visit him,” she said. “My family and I felt helpless and this project helped me feel as though I was able to contribute and give appreciation to the staff that was taking care of him. Ultimately, we were able to deliver 100 face shields to the Staten Island University Hospital where my grandfather was being taken care of.”

The project is ongoing.

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Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� CouGears Celebrate Impressive Season, Meet With Israeli Team

Yaelle — Thu, 12 Mar 2020 21:00:20 +0000

The 91Ӱ�� CouGears (First Tech Challenge Team 15762) capped off its second competitive robotics season with a strong showing in the league championship. The team made it to the finals of the tournament and was proud of its second-place alliance finish and seventh place overall standing (out of 21 teams).

Not only did the team have to prepare their robot for the competition with a strong mechanical design and reliable code, they produced an over 100-page engineering journal documenting their progress throughout the season. The team presented this as well as spoke about future plans to a panel of judges.

The team was selected as the first choice alliance partner by the second seed team, and went on to win the semifinals before ultimately losing to a strong alliance in the second match of the finals. The CouGears led their alliance, as the only member to participate in all four playoff matches. In addition to their strong on-the-field performance, the judges awarded the CouGears the second place Design Award (recognizing elements of aesthetic as well as function design) and the third place Control Award (recognizing the use of sensors and software to improve robot function during gameplay).

In addition to the judged awards, the CouGears were recognized by fellow teams at the competition for a spirit of gracious professionalism. Throughout the event, the 91Ӱ�� students were always prepared to help other teams and loan them parts if they experienced a failure.

“The robotics team at 91Ӱ�� gives me a unique opportunity to learn new engineering skills from other students in an environment outside of the classroom,” said Eliana Bane ’22. “Throughout these competitions, I have learned more about the intricacies of the engineering process and the idea that many different products can accomplish the same task.”

The team is looking forward to continuing its progress by further developing skills in the CIJE Robotics League as well as the Intramural 91Ӱ�� SumoBot League.

On March 4, not long after the league championship, the CouGears had the exciting opportunity to join 91Ӱ��’s engineering track to hear from an Israeli high school robotics team which, in October, won the silver medal at FIRST Global’s international robotics competition in Dubai. The FIRST Israel team visited 91Ӱ��, described their journey and demonstrated their robot, staying for dinner and a meet-and-greet. During the meet-and-greet, the Israelis and the 91Ӱ�� students got into groups and learned more about each other’s work.

“There was this really cool moment,” said Judah Shankman ’23, “when my teammate Oran and I were testing out our VEX robot to make sure it was working for the Israelis, when one of their supervisors and a couple of guys on their team came over and started assessing some problems and asking some questions. They compete on an international level, with a robot that could’ve been designed by a team of NASA roboticists for all I knew, but they still just wanted to know everything about our robot.”

“It was a really meaningful experience meeting with these Israeli students, similar in age to us, who also do robotics,” added Josh Kaplan ’22. “We helped each other. I had a meaningful conversation with one of the members, and we bonded over robotics. We talked about all the issues we had in robotics and how we overcame them.”

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Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� CouGears Win First Place at Robotics Meet

Yaelle — Thu, 30 Jan 2020 16:21:36 +0000

Yeshivat 91Ӱ��’s varsity robotics team, the CouGears, won first place at the FIRST Tech Challenge’s Robo-Wrangle II robotics meet this past Sunday in Emerson. The meet featured 27 teams from public and private schools across the state of New Jersey. 91Ӱ��’s robot was especially recognized for its skill in picking up building blocks and transferring them to a build platform. The CouGears also had a reliable autonomous code that earned respect from many teams and made them a sought-after partner within the competition.

Engineering and science teacher Mr. Travis Merritt mentored the CouGears, who were one of two yeshiva day school teams to compete in the meet. “I am especially proud of our team, because we are working within a yeshiva schedule, but it’s not a yeshiva league,” said Merritt, noting that the yeshiva school day ends later than most other schools, plus the CouGears of course cannot work on Shabbat. “I cannot emphasize enough what an accomplishment this is.”

Robotics team member Zachary Gold ’20 said that every individual on the team played a part in the victory. “Seeing such a jump from a 15th place finish last year to first and second place finishes this year is incredible,” said Gold, referencing the CouGears’ second place finish at their first qualifying tournament of the year, back in December. “I attribute much of this success to a strong team effort this year. Everyone has a role—from senior to sophomore, from captain to team member.”

Jonathan Sarasohn ’20, who is one of the CouGears captains, agreed. “The most rewarding part of the competition this past Sunday was seeing the result of all of the hard work we have put into our robot over the course of the past few months,” said Sarasohn. “Being part of the 91Ӱ�� CouGears has allowed me to gain real-world engineering experience, and has influenced my decision to study mechanical engineering in college.”

The next stop for the CouGears will be the league tournament.

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Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� Concludes Another Outstanding Year of Engineering

Yaelle — Thu, 30 May 2019 14:53:02 +0000

How can people be forewarned about their dangerous, overheating electrical outlets? What if people could receive a body PH reading from simply using the bathroom, and be alerted as to whether they need to see a physician? And is there a way to navigate the quickest route through a crowded school hallway?

Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� students showcased their innovative solutions to these problems—and many others—at 91Ӱ��’s annual Science and Engineering Symposium on May 22. The symposium celebrated yet another outstanding year of engineering at Yeshivat 91Ӱ��. The evening opened with a lecture by Dr. Adi Hanuka, a Technion graduate in electrical engineering who created the diagnostic medical device known as the Eyelid Motion Monitor.

Following the lecture, students exhibited their projects from the past year, in electrical, mechanical and biomedical engineering, molecular biology and bioinformatics, wearable technologies, robotics, coding and 3D design and fabrication from the 91Ӱ�� Fab Lab. Over 250 students participated—from the 91Ӱ�� engineering track; Waksman Student Scholars biology research course; technology and Halacha, 3D design and fabrication and Tikkun Olam Makers electives; honors computer science course, Girls Who Code club and award-winning robotics program. The symposium took place on the heels of CIJE Innovation Day, in which 91Ӱ��’s entire freshman and sophomore engineering track cohorts participated.

Other highlights from the year included a first-place win for 91Ӱ�� at the CIJE Hackathon, a visit to Google’s headquarters with a select group of 91Ӱ�� computer science students and a trip to Israel with CIJE-Journey to the Startup Nation, during which the participants visited different high tech/medical startups and nonprofits in Israel along with 91Ӱ�� Engineering Program Director Rifkie Silverman and students from other yeshiva high schools. In addition, this was the pilot year for 91Ӱ��’s participation in the international high school robotics competition, FIRST Robotics. For the final event of the year, 91Ӱ�� hosted the first annual CIJE Robotics Competition on May 29.

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91Ӱ�� Delegation Visits Google Headquarters

Yaelle — Fri, 01 Jun 2018 13:00:13 +0000

Ten Yeshivat 91Ӱ�� junior and senior computer science students who are seriously considering future STEAM careers got a one-of-a-kind tour of Google Headquarters in Manhattan on May 29. There, they heard from Principal Software Engineer Micah Lemonik about careers and internship opportunities at the company, what it’s like to build a career at Google and how individuals in various fields of engineering work together, as well as different careers in engineering and computer science.

“It was very interesting to see the way that a multibillion dollar tech company, like Google, manages its employees, and how the many different engineering career choices are applied to projects on a larger scale,” Sam Goldberg ’19.

“I was almost afraid to explore computer science because I thought of it as someone sitting behind a computer all day,” said Michal Katz ’19. “After seeing Google, my view of the entire concept has done a complete 180. It just comes to show a young ‘engineer’ that there really is no limit to what we have the potential to accomplish.”

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