Saturday, June 21, 2025
Hewlett High School’s robotics team, Innovo clinched the preliminary competition and took home the first place First Inspire Award.
Innovo is one of four robotics teams offered at Hewlett along with — Bionica, Nexus and Roboboogie.
The 15-member Innovo team is lead by Daniel Duffey-Birkenstock and is the second oldest team, formed six years ago. The oldest team is Roboboogie.
The preliminary competition was held at Locust Valley High School on Feb. 1.
“For Innovo, innovate would be the word to best describe them because they are really passionate about making their robot better,” Birkenstock said. “They pulled an all-nighter the night before the competition and got maybe an hour of sleep between them and came to the competition with a robot that I didn’t recognize.”
Birkenstock said he felt a little nervous coming into the competition with the team coming into it with a brand new robot.
“I was blown away by the results,” he said. They ended up being selected to receive the first place First Inspire Award, which is equivalent to a sweep. They did really well in all of the categories that first recognizes including innovation and connection.”
In addition to the award, they were awarded the most points during the bracket competitions for “Into the Deep”, which uses ideas that can be applicable for submersibles — a mechanical device that can operate underwater, either remotely or autonomously.
The team won the entire bracket competition and were also awarded Best Robot.
“When they get their portfolios back with feedback they are reading them, making notes about how they are going to improve in the future,” Birkenstock explained. “Calling them motivated would be an understatement, they are frenzied to do well they are so passionate.”
The next step for Innovo is the regional competition at Great Neck South High School on Match 16 alongside Bionica and Roboboogie.
“I think we have a great shot with all the feedback the kid shave been getting from the judges,” he said.
Innovo is really into the engineering process, the coding process and they’re passionate about making a robot that fits the task, is efficient and embodies the first mission of innovation, according to Birkenstock.
Captain and Innovo driver, Armani Tetsoti is a senior, who has been involved for three years. When operating the robot, he focuses on the claw and the linear lift system of the robot.
“For me, I was heavily interested in computer science and I joined as a programmer and later on I switched over to outreach,” Tetsoti said.
After the team presented their portfolio to the judges, which is a 16-page book that explains their work they talked about their outreach event, research, robot and coding to the judges.
“This presentation and the gracious professionalism we presented during competition and all aspects of what first represents is how we won the first place First Inspire Award,” he added. “The judges chose us because we exemplify first and all the sportsmanship and we were a prime example of that.”
Sophomore David Balzac is the lead coder and drive coach for Innovo. He’s been with the robotics team since he started high school.
“I joined robotics because I wanted experience in STEM and programming and I though robotics would be a good way to do that,” Balzac said. STEM stands for science, technology, engineering and math.
Innovo is focused on the driving part of the upcoming regional’s competition and are currently working on their report on the coding and driving.
“We’re currently focused on getting as much driving practice as possible as well as working on our outreach and portfolio,” Balzac said.
