The Lobster Bots, a team of seventh- to 12th-grade students hailing from South Portland, Sydney, Brunswick and York, won first place in the Marine Autonomous Systems category at the 2024 Brilliant Blue Challenge, an international competition focused on innovation in the Blue Economy. As the first team from the U.S. to participate among 17 other countries, the Lobster Bots captured the judges’ attention with their NEPTUNE Drifter project — a scalable, solar-powered, autonomous sensor platform designed for real-time environmental and maritime security monitoring.
Students making up the Lobster Bots are Freyja Prescott, an 11th grader from Brunswick; Ned Spalding, a ninth grader from York; Jasper Bloomer and Cooper Woods, both eighth graders from York; Dylan Millis, a 12th grader from Sydney; and Seth Jewell and Nick Anastasoff, both 12th graders from South Portland.
The team’s project, the NEPTUNE Drifters (short for “Navigational Environmental Processing and Tracking Unit for Nautical Exploration”), are equipped with advanced sensors and GPS to monitor ocean conditions, detect anomalies and track vessels. This information has valuable applications in environmental monitoring, maritime security and Blue Economy industries such as aquaculture and renewable energy. The students’ vision includes the potential for a network of NEPTUNE Drifters operating through the Internet of Things — a network of physical objects that can connect and exchange information with other devices and systems over the internet — to gather extensive oceanic data.
“This is an incredible achievement for the Lobster Bots and a proud moment for Maine,” said Mike Roughton of the Manufacturers Association of Maine. “Their project exemplifies the kind of innovation and dedication we strive to foster in our state’s students, who are ready to lead in the future of ocean technology.”
In a joint announcement, Roughton and John Lewis of Synergy Workforce Solutions shared plans to explore hosting a regional Brilliant Blue Challenge competition in Maine next spring as a lead-up to next year’s international event. Students interested in participating should reach out to the STEM Coliseum to get involved.
“The Lobster Bots’ achievement is a powerful example of what can happen when students are given the resources to innovate,” said Clare Greenlaw, executive director of the STEM Coliseum. “This experience has set the stage for them to become leaders in developing sustainable ocean technologies.”
In addition to their recent success at the Brilliant Blue Challenge, the Lobster Bots will participate on Nov. 13 in the Maine Startup Challenge, a competition aimed at encouraging entrepreneurial development among students and recent graduates in Maine. The challenge provides an opportunity for the Lobster Bots to present their NEPTUNE Drifters project in a business-oriented setting, potentially attracting interest from investors and industry experts who support innovative startup ideas.