It was a life-changing choice. The young man was stationed all over the world, and he not only learned about a diverse range of cultures, but he was able to explore different weather patterns. To this day, he's deeply grateful for the vast amount of knowledge he accrued in the Marines, along with the values that he says shaped his character.

"The things that I learned, the core values, honor, courage and commitment," he said, "those are the three things that I've tried to focus on even after the Marines. How can I be more courageous? How can I be more committed to being a person that was going to lookout for my fellow man?"

These values are what drove Davis to study renewable energy sources after his service. He believed he could be part of the solution to our global energy problem.

"I just wanted to continue to uphold the highest honor and tradition of the Corp and focus my efforts toward something that could benefit humanity and fully embody the core values."

Putting his childhood obsession with lightning to good use, Davis created First Light Consulting Incorporated, a company focused on astro-geo energy, hoping to harness the power of lightning and convert it into a renewable energy source.

"The average strike that takes place these days can power 56 homes for a single day," Davis explains. "And yet I've been told that the power of lightning was not significant at all."

Now, Davis is coming close to being able to direct the flow of energy from lightning and actually harness it. He hopes it will revolutionize the way we're able to store and collect energy, and believes that lightning will be powering homes and cars within 5 years. In 25 years, he'd like to be involved in space mining.

After gaining the discipline and determination to tackle any obstacle in the Marines, Davis believes that the sky is (quite literally) the limit. And like the flash of lightning against a dark, stormy sky, the future of energy looks bright.

CLEAN BOTTLE

Water purification is the process of removing undesirable chemicals, biological contaminants, suspended solids, and gases from contaminated water. Power from the electrical grid, a battery, a fuel cell, solar panels, or filters are currently required to purify water. In countries that lack access to filters and power, water purification is a serious concern.

Raised mostly in New Jersey, Balaji was born in India. During his travels back home with his family, he noticed that many people had to walk miles to get access to clean water.

"There's a big struggle to get water for a lot of people," Balaji says. "It's the most basic necessity for life. Even if you don't have food, you can still survive for weeks. But if you don't have water, you'll die within a few days."

The problem felt personal, and Balaji wanted to help. His answer was, CleanBottle. The device slips over any water bottle and harnesses the Seebeck Effect, using thermoelectric generator tiles to power the purification process.

It's pretty simple to hear Balaji explain it:

"On one side of the tile, it's relatively hot from your hand contacting the tile. The other side is relatively cold and that temperature differential will create an electric current. I use that to power an ultraviolet c-light and the ultraviolet light is what purifies the water by killing microorganisms."

It's a revolutionary idea and one that has the potential to change millions of lives. As an innovator in STEM, Balaji sees this world as a precious resource, and feels that it's his calling to help make it run better.

"I'm going to be living in this world for the next 70, 80, 90 years," he says. "I want it to be a world that I want to live in."

Balaji's invention will provide an easy, affordable method for cleaning drinking water. That's the kind of innovation that makes a real difference. For Marines on the field, having this quick, lightweight solution will free up time to keep our country secure. It's a shining example of STEM at its best.

For now, the main job of Cobalt Robotics robots will be to patrol office buildings and look for situations that are out of the ordinary. And while they are highly equipped to react to any unusual stimuli, Schluntz and his co-founder, Travis Deyle, are quick to point out that the robots aren't meant to replace human personnel. When a robot finds a person who isn't supposed to be in a certain location, it will Skype in a human, who will then take control of the robot and talk to the intruder. Rather than replacing a flesh and blood person, the robot will simply enhance the human's abilities and scope.

"The robot is a tool for a very capable human security guard," Deyle says. "With Cobalt, that guard can project their presence throughout the entire organization by controlling 20 or 30 of these robots. And then when it detects something, that person can actually provide high level, human-level intelligence and respond."

It's tech that you may prove incredibly useful for Marines abroad too. Robots might patrol a large base with human aides on the ready to jump in when needed. This would actually make bases safer and more secure, without risking human life.

The Cobalt team wanted to make sure that people would respond positively to the help, rather than be fearful of the futuristic technology. As Deyle points out, most of the time even if someone is in the office at 3am, it's much more likely that it's simply an employee who forgot a computer than a thief.

"You want the robot to welcome them and say, 'Hey, how can I help you?' and 'Touch your badge,'" Schulntz says, "rather than be intimidating or scary."

Deyle and Schluntz eventually see the robots as being able to perform many tasks around the office and testing so far has revealed that employees are excited about this prospect.

"We want (our robots) to help facilities do inspections and maintenance, figure out what needs to be brought to their attention, and act as virtual receptionists," Schulntz says, enthusiastically.

Cobalt is about to begin deploying their robots into real companies. Schluntz and Deyle are thrilled, but they've still got their eyes on the future. They predict that great advances are coming in all areas of science and technology.

"For me, it goes back to Arthur C. Clarke and his famous saying, 'Any sufficiently advanced technology would seem like magic,'" Deyle says. "I love living in a world where I can walk around and just everything seems like magic all the time."

CONCLUSION

STEM research and advances are of utmost importance in our world. Without a doubt, the warriors in these fields—creating new technology and finding innovative solutions to problems—are heroes. Whether they're helping to make water drinkable in developing nations, engineering robots that will make our workplaces safer, or trying to capture energy from lightning, these visionaries are using their unique skills and talents to make our world a better place. The fighting spirit of the Marines continues to inspire STEM warrior, Ryan Davis to battle through any obstacle. Similarly, Yash Balaji and the team at Cobalt Robotics fight past challenges to create new technologies that will surely prove life-changing.

As Travis Deyle of Cobalt Robotics said, fields in STEM can almost seem like magic. Their advances are often so revolutionary that to the common person they seem dazzlingly impossible. But, he said, even when you're like him and you can look under the hood and understand the mechanics behind new technologies or innovations, it doesn't make the work any less thrilling. It's always awe-inspiring what the warriors of STEM can accomplish.

"We're in a period of amazing technological advancement," Deyle says. "It's not just robotics either. It's in biology. It's in chemistry, in materials science, rocketry. There are so many amazing things going on that I hope they get life extension technology because I want to see where it's all going."