NASA Conrad Challenge 2023-24 BD TEAM – The high school team from Bangladesh, ExoMax, has proudly reached the top five in the ‘Energy and Environment’ category at NASA’s Conrad Challenge Innovation Summit. This achievement is a testament to their dedication. However, their journey has been marked by consistent obstacles and adversities—a common scenario for Bangladesh’s young participants.
Lack of resources, local support, funding, sponsorship, and systematic national-level fostering has been a recurring challenge for most teams. These 15-17-year-old students, fueled by dreams and spending their own money, endured long flights and exhaustion to give their best at the summit, despite the absence of the advantages other countries’ teams have enjoyed for years.
Despite being so close to their goal, they often had to cope with the lack of support, a consequence they reluctantly accepted. This issue has been highlighted multiple times—without national-level recognition and sponsorship, discouragement among our youth will only continue to grow. They are the nation’s asset, and it’s time for a centralized effort to nurture these young minds at the highest level.
We are proud of our youth’s achievements, but we still struggle to provide the right support and guidance they need to succeed. Congratulations to Team ExoMax for securing a place in the top five amid such adversities. We are all very proud.
The team “Not A Boring Team” has surpassed the third round and advanced to the global final round of the NASA Conrad Challenge in the “Energy and Environment” category. They secured the tenth position in the Power Pitch Round, which will be held in the United States from April 23-26, where they will have the opportunity to pitch their innovative idea.
Since its inception in 2008 by the Conrad Foundation, this global competition has engaged the world’s leading tech giants, including NASA and Dell Technologies. It targets young innovators aged 13-18, who are challenged to develop a business model for a practical solution to a specific field issue through four competitive rounds.
This isn’t the first participation for Bangladesh in this competition. Nine years ago, in 2015, a team represented Bangladesh in the global final round for the first time. However, this year has seen the most participation in the 16-year history of the event, with over 3,400 participants. Among them, “Not A Boring Team” stunned everyone by ranking among the top ten globally with their project, the ‘Smart Road Safety Beast.’ This product, affordable and adaptable to any car model, is believed to play a transformative role in preventing road accidents.
“Our preparation started in September 2023. We registered with our details and then tackled the Lean Canvas Round. Winning this round felt incredible and weaved dreams of becoming global finalists in everyone’s hearts. The work continued, and failures were part of the journey. We didn’t manage to finish the hardware due to a mishap that burned components worth about 15,000 taka, so we turned to animation instead.
Our team, led by captain Twashin Ilahi, Mahdi, and Nur, worked tirelessly, with little knowledge about business. They spent time learning about commerce and sought advice and support from older peers. The team members, Twashin and Mahdi, worked continuously for 19 hours straight. The effort was so intense that our team members spent several nights without sleep.
In the last 72 hours before the submission deadline, captain Twashin Ilahi slept only 10 hours, dedicating the rest to work. Mahdi Nadim, Sanjeev, and Nur worked together relentlessly. Nur designed the website and developed software, while Mahdi communicated with our mentors for further support. Nadim managed the hardware, and Sanjeev engaged in research. Despite various obstacles, we never gave up. We submitted our work two months before the SSC exams, with three of us being SSC candidates. The fear was real because the math exam results were due the next day. We couldn’t believe our eyes when we saw that we had outshined the entire world, lighting up Bangladesh’s name.”
Members of Not A Boring Team include:
1. Md. Twashin Ilahi (Team Lead & Business Planner), Chapainawabganj
2. Mahdi Bin Ferdaus (Coordinator), Natore
3. Md. Nur Ahmad (Embedded System), Rajshahi
4. Nadim Shariar Apurbo (Innovation & Hardware), Naogaon
5. Md Sunjim Hossain (Research & Analysis), Narsingdi
Mentor:
Md. Mehedi Hasan, B.Sc(ME), DUET
The team, with members aged between 14-16, is set to participate in the upcoming Conrad Innovation Summit-2024, to be held at NASA’s historic Johnson Space Center & Space Center Houston in Houston, Texas, from April 23-26.