Branchburg's Storming Robots win two world titles at international RoboCup Junior

BRANCHBURG - Venturing outside their comfort zone is key to Storming Robots' members.

This strategy proved successful as the high school students based at Storming Robots Technology Learning Lab on Route 22 recently brought home two world titles from this year's international RoboCup Junior (RCJ) competition.

Held at the Eindhoven University of Technology in the Netherlands July 17-20, the annual competition saw 2,000 participants in 300 teams from 35 countries come together and enter a world of AI, where robots are no longer a futuristic fantasy but a living reality.

RCJ stands out among pre-college robotics competitions, said Elizabeth Mabrey, founder and principal of Storming Robots. Held in conjunction with RoboCup, the RCJ event allows students to meet researchers and draw inspiration from the world's top robotics professionals' exhibitions and contest entries.

With all challenges requiring 100% automation, RCJ fosters innovation among students by challenging them with real-world problems in robotics and AI, Mabrey said.

"These young minds have demonstrated exceptional problem-solving capabilities and technical skills, which are well beyond their years," said Mabrey. "The RCJ experience has not only honed their technical and collaborative skills but has also inspired them towards future careers in engineering and technology."

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Established in 2004, Storming Robots is a year-round robotics technology and advanced computer science learning center that offers robotics and computer science education for grades 5 to 12. The goal is to foster a generation of analytical and computational thinkers who pursue self-improvement daily, Mabrey said.

At RCJ, Team New AJE consisted of 10th-graders Etaash Mathamsetty Venkata Jain and Jiachen Jiang, and 11th-grader Andrew Dai. The three clinched first place in the software algorithms-intensive Robotics Rescue Simulation League. This league tests competitors' abilities in algorithmic development and virtual navigation.

An all-girls team − Team JAM Sessions − of 10th-grader Aditi Gopalakrishnan and 9th-graders Julia Chan and Maya Baireddy earned second place in the OnStage (STEAM initiative) Robotics League. Their project merged technology with the arts by developing a system that interprets American Sign Language (ASL) into music played on a piano through machine learning and robotic mechanisms.

"I got to put my skills to the test," said Chan. "I achieved a level I never expected myself to be able to reach."

To learn about Storming Robots programs and classes, visit stormingrobots.com . To learb about RCJ and Storming Robot’s involvement in the competitions, visit rcj.stormingrobots.com .

email: cmakin@gannettnj.com

Cheryl Makin is an award-winning features and education reporter for MyCentralJersey.com , part of the USA Today Network. Contact: Cmakin@gannettnj.com or @CherylMakin . To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: Branchburg's Storming Robots win two world titles at international RoboCup Junior