Yinz Girlz All-Girl Robotics Team Advances to National Competition, Focus on Emergency Response and Humanitarian Logistics Drones
The team of Pittsburgh (Penn.)-based 5th- to 7th- grade girls received advice from Fire & EMS experts across three U.S. states.
Pittsburgh, PA (18 April 2022) — Beyond Lucid Technologies, an award-winning innovations firm focused on mission-critical data capture, analytics, and interoperability for Mobile Medicine (Fire & EMS) and public health — is thrilled to announce its sponsorship of the Yinz Girlz as the team prepares to travel to the LEGO League National Championship in Houston later this week. Yinz Girlz describes itself as an “all-girl, multicultural FIRST Lego Challenge division robotics team” whose mission is to “inspire other girls into Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) fields.” The team members range from 5th grade to 7th grade, as of the 2021–22 academic year. Their bios can be found at the following link: https://yinzgirlz.myportfolio.com/who-are-we
The team won the Western Pennsylvania regional round and its achievements have been featured in local press, including an interview on WTAE Pittsburgh (below), where members explained the Yinz Girlz’ humanitarian focus. Beyond Lucid Technologies was founded at Carnegie Mellon University in Western Pennsylvania, and one of its officers has a child on the team.
Kaya Ghandi — a 5th grader — described the team’s diligent approach to product creation, including extensive interviews with potential users:
“We asked a lot of First Responders what problems they were having on the job. When we got the feedback, we decided that we would help people stranded by floods, hurricanes, and war…we had to do research on non-perishable items that we would deliver to people stranded, and it was really important because we have to give them the right things so they can survive. And we really want it to be lightweight so that the drone won’t fall.”
Among the emergency management and response experts that the Yinz Girlz consulted were Art Groux, Chief of Vermont’s Bennington Rescue Squad; Ron Nichols, Emergency Services Director of Chambers County, Texas; and Tony Robbins, Captain with the North Kansas City Fire Dept. with over a half-decade experience as a pilot flying missions related to organ transplants.
Beyond Lucid Technologies sponsored the Yinz Girlz because their mission is entirely aligned with the company’s — namely, to leverage technology in such a way that communities in dire straits become more resilient to disasters like severe weather and man-made catastrophes — while at the same ensuring that an inquisitive approach to design thinking keeps Responders safe as well.
According to Jonathon Feit, BLT’s Co-Founder & Chief Executive:
“Beyond the obvious complementarity with our mission to advance Fire & EMS innovation, we were simply blown away by these young women. They are not yet in high school — yet their concepts could someday become viable emergency logistics solutions. That’s just mind-blowing to us so we’re thrilled to support their exploration. I have a young daughter, and frankly, I hope that by the time she gets to junior high school, the Yinz Girlz are still hiring!”
According to coaches Marcel Bergerman and Maria Yamanaka:
“FIRST LEGO League is a unique opportunity for elementary and middle school children to experience STEM through robotics, coding, and research in an environment that promotes teamwork and fun. The Yinz Girlz did a great job at the Southwest PA championship and will proudly represent our region at the World Festival with other 120 teams from all over the world.”
About Beyond Lucid Technologies, Inc.
Beyond Lucid Technologies, Inc. (BLT), is a health-and-safety IT firm that develops patented software packed with innovations that make Fire, Ground & Air Emergency Medical Services, medical transportation and Community Paramedicine / Mobile Integrated Health safer, more efficient and more cost-effective — with a special focus on addressing the scourge of substance use disorders, and ensuring critical data like end-of-life wishes are available to emergency responders in real-time. BLT’s “prehospital pipes” connect the dots for partner-clients across 30 U.S. states, with 300+ hospitals on the MEDIVIEW™ BEACON Prehospital Health Information Exchange network. BLT is also building the country’s first state registry of children with special healthcare needs. We have been called “Silicon Valley’s Emergency Medical Technology Experts.” Winner of the 2019 Frost & Sullivan Technology Leadership Award for EMS Communications Platform, and of awards from EMS World and the Journal of EMS (JEMS). Quarterfinalist for the 2021 UCSF Health Award (“Breakthrough COVID-19 Technology”). Runner-up for the 2018 East Bay Innovation Award. BeyondLucid.com
