The Heart of Robotics Isn’t the Robots

Shoppers stepping into Bridgewater Commons on a balmy weekend afternoon in late September were met with more than they bargained for: The ground floor of the New Jersey mall had been transformed into a live robotics arena. Tables and displays laden with everything from STEAM crafts to LEGO builds stretched in every direction.

The annual RoboCon NJ event, organized by local FIRST Robotics teams and supported by volunteers and sponsors, turned the retail center into a hands-on celebration of engineering. At its core were educators, mentors, and students guiding visitors through the mechanics of motion, programming, and design.

The event combined kid-friendly exhibits with serious STEM participation from groups such as the Garden State Combat Robotics League, Mid-Atlantic Droid Builders, and Grant Imnaha STEAM Foundation, alongside a full FIRST Robotics Competition featuring 24 high-school teams.
 

From mall to makerspace: Bridgewater Commons

Turning a suburban shopping mall into a temporary innovation hub was the idea of Bound Brook’s Team 56, who brought on several other local FIRST teams to the organizing committee for RoboCon NJ. 

“Our entire goal as FIRST robotics teams is to spread awareness of STEM and engineering to the community, and to show that it’s accessible to everyone,” said Alex Giardina, a mechanical engineer and teacher at Somerville High School who serves on the committee and founded Team 9116 Canucks & Bolts. 

“This is the fourth time we’ve run this event, and we’ve gotten bigger every year—which is both good and bad, because the bigger we get, the harder it is to fit it all in the mall,” he said with a laugh.

The location, Giardina explained, was intentional. Families who might never attend a robotics competition could encounter it here, amidst everyday shoppers. “We’re hoping it sticks with some of the people who see it,” he said—and that they go on to become the next generation of builders and engineers. 
 

FIRST and foremost

The program that connected teachers like Giardina with students across New Jersey began more than three decades ago. FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) was founded in 1989 by inventor Dean Kamen to inspire young people’s interest in science and technology. Today, it stands as a youth-serving nonprofit advancing STEM education through a network of robotics programs that span from pre-kindergarten to high school.

At the high-school level, the FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) challenges teams to design, build, and program robots to play a new game that’s unveiled each January. This season’s challenge, REEFSCAPE, tasked teams with designing robots that could restore and populate a futuristic ocean reef. 


Using vision systems, autonomous navigation, and precise manipulator control, each robot had to gather coral-shaped game pieces and place them on multi-level reef structures to earn points. 
 

Future engineers find their calling

For Kevin Wright and Michael Sisoev, seniors at Union County Magnet High School and members of FRC Team 1247 Parallel Universe, robotics has been nothing short of transformational. Both students serve in leadership roles—Wright as build manager and Sisoev as technical director—helping to coordinate subteams and guide their peers.

“We have to build a robot from the ground up that can compete in a very fast-paced competition over multiple days and weeks,” Wright said, explaining how their team of 140 students handles everything from build and design to electronics and programming. 

But it’s not just the technical side, Wright pointed out: There’s also marketing, fundraising, obtaining sponsors, and maintaining good relationships. “It's a $40,000-a-year business, basically—that's what our mentor Ms. Cook likes to say.”

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Both students said their experience at FIRST solidified their career goals. “I want to major in mechanical engineering,” Sisoev said. “My favorite part is the problem solving. You have materials, you have constraints, and you sit down with your teammates and think about how to get it done.”

Wright agreed. “I was a little torn at first—like maybe I go into electrical, maybe aerospace, maybe mechanical,” he said. “This is what really cemented mechanical for me. I feel like I have a real passion for FRC, and that extends my love for engineering.”
 

A public display of innovation

Encouraged by their mentor, the two seniors amiably volunteered to offer ASME a tour of RoboCon NJ, beginning with a “passport” to STEAM: The pamphlet guide displayed a map of the mall with its RoboCon stops—Investigation Island, Brick Backyard, Robot Driving, and more—where visitors could collect stamps toward a prize. 

What looked like a weekend side quest for mallgoers quickly revealed itself as a living classroom: two full floors of hands-on engineering, creativity, and noise that felt closer at times to a sporting event than a science convention.

On the main floor, the robot rumble drew the loudest cheers, with families holding handmade signs and shouting for their favorite high-school teams as their robots raced for points and glory. For anyone overwhelmed by the commotion, the map directed visitors to the “Calm Corner,” a sensory-friendly zone offering a quiet reprieve before returning to the action.

Behind the scenes, the students’ professionalism shone in the Team Robot Pits. The NASCAR-style pit area was tucked away from the crowds, where students huddled over their machines, laptops, and tools, making adjustments and final preparations before the next match. 

“It’s cool seeing all the other teams,” Wright said, watching as robots were rolled out to the floor for the next race. “You can walk over, talk about design ideas, or ask to borrow a part. Everyone helps each other. Even though we’re competing, it’s really cooperative—that’s part of what FIRST is about.”
 

Passing the wrench

As the tour concluded, one final encounter awaited. Just after hearing rumor from a teammate that “a FIRST legend” was in the building, Wright and Sisoev walked right into the man himself—Donald Bowers.

Bowers, one of the earliest volunteers and “forefathers” of Mid-Atlantic Robotics, was happy to stop and chat with the two seniors. “Whenever somebody calls me a legend, I’ll pay for their counseling,” he joked. 

“When I helped start this in 1995, there were 126 teams and one program,” Bowers recalled. “Today there are over 22,000 teams in 110 countries.” 

What began with a handful of high-school teams has grown into a global network reaching hundreds of thousands of students each year, who in turn reach the next generation—and the cycle continues. 

“I invited a bunch of my younger cousins to come to the event, a few kids under the age of eight,” Wright shared. “I got videos of them playing catch with one of the robots and doing all of these experiments. I think it’s really rewarding to see how all the hard work we put in has come together to create something that makes people happy.”

Sarah Alburakeh is strategic content editor.

For more information on RoboCon NJ and how to participate in 2026, contact Gregg Talewsky.