Students from the University of Texas at Arlington and North Texas high schools went nose-to-nose in a Shark Tank-style competition at Monday’s third annual Innovation Day at UTA.
Three UTA teams and 16 high school teams were presented with a problem and challenged to come up with a solution, which they pitched to a panel of judges, according to a report in The Shorthorn.
“Inventors don’t have to be old, and kids usually have the most creative ideas.”
Colton Sustaita-Robb
The young entrepreneurs presented everything from a phone app for frequent fliers to rent cars, to window blinds that work using light-sensing technology, CBSDFW reported.
“Inventors don’t have to be old, and kids usually have the most creative ideas,” Colton Sustaita-Robb, a 16-year-old inventor, told CBSDFW. “As you get older, you lose your creativity because you’re more structured and thinking.”
MOWBOT, A ROBOTIC MOWER WITH GPS TRACKING
The winning team was Harmony Science Academy in Dallas. Their solution was MowBot, a robotic mower with GPS tracking. It maps your lawn using a computer algorithm to identify the most effective path to cover the entire lawn while using the least amount of resources. Each team member walked away with a pair of Beats headphones.
Along with the competition, the event showcased the inventions and discoveries the students and faculty been working on over the past year.
Delivering what’s new and next in Dallas-Fort Worth innovation, every day. Get the Dallas Innovates e-newsletter.
R E A D N E X T
-
The U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which passed in May, has the power to develop 20 tech hubs throughout the United States. According to Tech Titans' CEO Bill Sproull, Dallas-Fort Worth could be a strong contender for one of those spots.
-
The NTXIA is a founding member of the new National Smart Coalitions Partnership, now one of the largest smart cities networks in the country. The organization unites more than 100 governments across seven regional smart cities consortiums. The goal? To accelerate sustainability and resilience in communities.
-
Nonprofit BUiLT is hosting the event to highlight the success and possibilities of Black tech talent in the region. “There is no talent pipeline problem,” says Peter Beasley, co-founder of the Blacks United in Leading Technology International. “Black tech talent is widely available, especially in North Texas.”
-
Five local winners received up to $200,000 in funding to activate their solutions throughout North Texas.
-
The inaugural October 8th Texas Blockchain Summit could be a watershed event for making Texas "the jurisdiction of choice" for Bitcoin and other digital currencies. Lee Bratcher, president of the Texas Blockchain Council, will host a wide array of speakers including Texas Senators John Cornyn and Ted Cruz and Wyoming Senator Cynthia Lummis.
![Erica Kosemund, Chief Brand Officer, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; Gillian Breidenbach, Chief Partnership Officer, North Texas FWC Organizing Committee; Chief Gary Batton, Chief of Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; Monica Paul, Executive Director of Dallas Sports Commission and President of North Texas FWC Organizing Committee; John Hobbs, Senior Executive Officer of Communications, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma; and Heidi Grant, Senior Executive Officer of Commerce Administration, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, celebrate Choctaw Casinos & Resorts becoming an Official Dallas World Cup 2026 Host City Supporter. [Photo: North Texas FWC Organizing Committee/Choctaw Casinos & Resorts]](https://s24806.pcdn.co/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/FIFA-Choctaw-dec-2025.jpg)
