A Productive Summer for the LigerBots!

Over Summer ‘25, the LigerBots were busy. We participated in the LigerBots Adaptive Engineering Internship program, hosted a CAD training program, and co-lead the LigerBoxes summer camp with Newton Community Education. 

Students research and brainstorm on their project

15 Newton teens spent much of their summer participating in the LigerBots Adaptive Engineering Internship program at Newton North. Throughout the program, students worked in small teams to engineer adaptive devices for people with disabilities. In just eight weeks (June 30th – August 22nd), students conducted research, designed their product, made a prototype, and tested their device to deliver successful (and life-changing) products to their clients.  They achieved all of this with no prior knowledge but a keen interest to innovate.

One group of clients were children at the New England Pediatric center who have severe cognitive disabilities. A team of 4 students designed a foldable display with multiple panels that light up in different colors and patterns. The device allows children to engage in cause-and-effect play together using adaptive switches tailored to each child’s abilities. Another client is blind and wanted help avoiding obstacles such as trees and low doorways so a 5-student team designed a working system using a time-of-flight sensor, overcoming many technical setbacks such as their ultrasonic sensor proving inadequate for the job. Their last client was Selim, a young man with muscular dystrophy who struggles to pick up dropped items. To solve the problem, the students developed an innovative grabber using a latex balloon filled with coffee grounds that becomes rigid when air is evacuated, allowing it to conform to and grip objects of various shapes and sizes.

The internship was a big success, as teams gave people with disabilities technological solutions to have a better quality of life.

LigerBots students learning about CAD software

Coaches Igor and Elliot led a Saturday CAD training program to teach fellow LigerBot team members how to use the product development software. Over the course of these training sessions, every teen gained a great understanding of the software, which no doubt will help the team go further in the upcoming tournaments. One student even said that the training was “pretty lit”.

Robotic hands project done at the LigerBoxes summer camp

LigerBots isn’t just for high schoolers! In a partnership with Newton Community Education, we hosted a week-long summer camp. Teammates Stephen, Galia, and Ella taught their 12 campers in STEAM concepts with projects like the Robotic Hands, which taught students about technology, Coke and Mentos, which taught students about science, and other hands-on projects that taught students many other important values. Coach Greer said “The summer camp was great, I’m so glad we helped kids learn and love science over the summer”.

The LigerBots are just getting started, and we’re running full steam ahead into the fall!