Edison Robotics Team Recognized In Optimum Innovator Awards

EDISON, NJ — A robotics team from John P. Stevens High School has been recognized by Optimum in its seventh annual Innovator Awards.

With the 2026 FIRST competitions completed, the Optimum Innovator Awards recognize the drive and hard work that teams have displayed throughout the season.

As FIRST students prepare for the next competition season, the Innovator Awards aim to further support their efforts to find new and innovative ways to design and engineer their robots as well as inspire them to create a positive change in the world.

This year, Optimum demonstrated its commitment to FIRST by sponsoring over 70 teams and six regional competitions within its footprint.

These efforts helped provide essential resources and tools for FIRST teams to build and program their robots and prepare for competitions.

Optimum employees also actively participated by volunteering at regional competitions and mentoring FIRST students.

The company awarded $1,000 grants to 15 of their sponsored teams that qualified to compete in the prestigious FIRST Championship, a four-day international event that marks the culmination of the robotics competition season.

Winners of the Optimum Innovator Awards will receive grants of $2,000; runners-up will receive $1,500; and honorable mentions will receive $500.

To continue celebrating the winners' accomplishments, Optimum will host recognition events with local officials and key community partners also joining to show their support.

2026 Optimum Innovator Award Winners

Community Impact Award

• Winner: Dark Side Robotics (Williamstown, WV)
• Runner-Up: Texas Torque (Woodlands, TX)

Excellence in Technology Award

• Winner: NEMESIS (Robbinsville, NJ)
• Runner-Up: Bionic Panthers (Liberty Hill, TX)

Inclusion Award

• Winner: Mechanical Bulls (Smithtown, NY)
• Runner-Up: Bomb Squad (Mountain Home, AR)

Inspiration Award

• Winner: Regal Eagles (Bethpage, NY)
• Runner-Up: Spark City (Bridgeport, CT)

Sustainability Award

• Winner: Full Metal Jackets (Rockwall, TX)
• Runner-Up: O-Bots (Ossining, NY)

Honorable Mentions

• Black Hawk Robotics (Rockwall, TX)
• Brooklyn Blacksmiths (Brooklyn, NY)
• Cybears (Norwalk, CT)
• CyberCats (Old Westbury, NY)
• Hicksville J-Birds (Hicksville, NY)
• Infernobotix (Center Moriches, NY)
• Lady Talons (Prosper, TX)
• Mojo (Milford, CT)
• Panther Robotics (Paola, KS)
• PARTS (Winfield, WV)
• PSIcotics (Lindenhurst, NY)
• Rebel Robotics (Great Neck, NY)
• RoboLion (Longwood, NY)
• Warhawks (Edison, NJ)

This marks the sixth consecutive year the Warhawks have been recognized through the Optimum Innovator Awards.

In past years, the team earned the Excellence in Technology Award, the Inspiration Award, and runner-up recognition for the Sustainability Award.

Since 2021, Optimum has supported the Warhawks with over $12,000 in funding to help advance their robot builds and team initiatives.

To learn more about Optimum’s long-standing partnership with FIRST and the Optimum Innovator Awards, you can click here.