iNugGits Robotics Boot Camp Launch

Lakeland, FL — As demand for STEM talent accelerates across the U.S., many programs have emerged promising to teach the next generation of roboticists, engineers, and technologists. But according to Laurnetta Sanks, founder and CEO of iNugGits, many programs fail to prepare students to become robotic software developers. Instead of providing direct experience with software code, they prioritize theoretical instruction and MATLAB-simulated solutions, without exclusively focusing on the elegance of raw mathematics and physics.

“Students are graduating with certificates and/or degrees in robotics who’ve never written and or applied a single inverse kinematics equation,” said Sanks, an electrical engineering graduate from Florida A&M University and a current Azure cloud engineer. “They know how to create simulations, but they don’t understand the math that makes the robot move.”

Sanks launched iNugGits, a unique hands-on, math-centric robotics boot camp that goes beyond theory to include programming. The initiative combines applied physics, C++ programming, and 3D-printed hardware to teach robotics from the ground up. The goal: build a math-based foundation that learners can use beyond the classroom.

The company plans to establish a STEM Innovation Hub at Catapult Lakeland, a well-known entrepreneurial incubator supporting startups and educators in central Florida. iNugGits also hopes to explore future collaboration opportunities with Florida Polytechnic University, a public STEM institution near Lakeland.

A Robotics Program Rooted in Physics and Software

Unlike traditional robotics Bootcamps that emphasize graphical coding platforms or rely heavily on software libraries like ROS or MATLAB, iNugGits is structured to teach students the principles behind robotic movement. Using a compact humanoid robot, Otto, students 3D print their robot or buy an Otto Kit and write C++ code to control motion using trigonometry and inverse kinematics.

Otto is open-source, fully customizable, and designed to be assembled using 3D-printed parts and basic components. Every movement executed by Otto is calculated, not simulated.

“This is not a drag-and-drop environment,” Sanks said. “Students learn exactly what angles without forces are required for each action the robot performs. If they can make Otto walk, they can apply the same logic to industrial or medical robotics later.”

The core curriculum includes topics often skipped or oversimplified in introductory courses, such as trajectory equations, vector rotation, and servo actuation—all taught using real code, not abstracted frameworks.

Filling the Educational Gap

Sanks’ motivation to launch iNugGits stemmed from her frustration with online and university-level robotics education. While exploring robotics as a self-taught learner, she found most tutorials relied on simulations or black-box software libraries. She discovered that even engineers with advanced degrees often bypassed inverse kinematics by hardcoding joint movements.

She notes that one example is Akshhat Shrivastava, a mechatronics graduate from Purdue University, who was able to program Otto to move but did so by Hardcoding angular servo positions rather than using Otto’s Inverse kinematic equations. “This is someone who interned at Robokriti India and studied robotics at a top school,” said Sanks. “Even he chose to avoid Inverse Kinematics because of how complex and under-taught it is. That tells you there’s a major disconnect in the way we’re preparing students for the future.”

The issue extends beyond academia. In a recent Department of Defense memo, U.S. officials emphasized that American math proficiency levels pose a long-term risk to national competitiveness in technology, automation, and defense systems. Programs like iNugGits, math-centric robotics learning, align with calls for educational reform that better equip students to contribute to the high-demand sectors.

A New STEM Hub in Lakeland

iNugGits is developing a STEM Innovation Hub at Catapult Lakeland, a 40,000-square-foot incubator supporting startups and educators. The hub will serve as a regional center for hands-on robotics training, offering workshops, programming labs, and applied engineering experiences for students across Polk, Orange, and Hillsborough counties.

The program will also support high school educators through instructor training and classroom kits, based on iNugGits’ Otto robot and accompanying step-by-step C++ robotics book authored by Sanks.

iNugGits’ approach reflects a nationwide movement to rethink how STEM is taught. In Arkansas, members of the Walton family—heirs to Walmart founder Sam Walton—recently announced plans to launch a new STEM-focused university in Bentonville. The institution will emphasize automation, logistics, computing, and biotech, aiming to produce a globally competitive STEM workforce.

Elon Musk is backing a new K–12 private school in Texas for high-achieving students interested in science, technology, and entrepreneurship. The school will reportedly prioritize project-based learning and real-world application over traditional classroom models.

These initiatives demonstrate that the future of STEM education is hands-on, math-centered, and focused on creating builders—not just users. “iNugGits is proud to bring that same energy to Lakeland.” said Sanks.

By aligning with this shift, iNugGits hopes to offer an alternative to simulation-heavy programs and become a regional leader in applied robotics education, inspiring a new generation of STEM enthusiasts.

Looking Ahead to Academic Collaboration

In parallel with its plans at Catapult, iNugGits has begun preliminary discussions about potential academic collaboration with Florida Polytechnic University. Known for its focus on engineering, applied sciences, and innovation, Florida Poly has recently entered into strategic partnerships to promote regional technology growth, including a memorandum of understanding with Catapult signed earlier this year.

“The synergy is already there,” said Sanks. “Florida Poly is building the next generation of engineers, and we’re preparing learners to arrive on Day One ready to contribute.”

The proposed partnership could include joint research labs, pre-college bridge programs, or guest lectures from iNugGits instructors on applied robotics and mathematics. According to Sanks, such collaboration would reinforce iNugGits’ broader mission of embedding engineering thinking earlier in the education pipeline.

“This isn’t about pushing students into coding careers,” she added. “It’s about helping them think critically, solve real problems, and understand the mechanics of the systems around them and how math is applied to these systems.”

Building from the Ground Up

Currently, iNugGits offers both bootcamp enrollment and a standalone book that guides readers through core robotics concepts using C++. The program does not require prior experience; however, a basic understanding of trigonometry is a requirement, making it accessible to middle schoolers, high schoolers, and adult learners.

Each module is designed to be project-based, with students building and coding as they go. This practical approach ensures that learners are not just passively consuming information, but are actively applying what they know in a hands-on format.

Initial enrollment is capped to maintain small class sizes and personalized instruction. The bootcamp is accepting applications via the iNugGits website, and upcoming sessions will begin later this year.

Reimagining Robotics Education

As the robotics industry continues to expand into fields like autonomous vehicles, logistics, medical technology, and agriculture, the need for foundational STEM education is becoming more urgent.

“We’re not training people to use a product,” Sanks said. “We’re training them to understand how the product works—and how to build it themselves.”

With its launch at Catapult and proposed collaboration with Florida Polytechnic University, iNugGits is positioning itself as not just another robotics course, but a new model/standard for real-world STEM learning.