By Marci Bowman
Imagine an autonomous robot that can translate sign language into music, one that can compete on the soccer pitch or another that can make its way through a complex maze. These robots, and dozens of others, were conceived of, built and operated by teens from across the country. Their passion, focus and ingenuity were on full display in Plumeri Gym on Sunday, May 19 when RoboCupJunior USA held their national tournament on the LA campus with more than 50 teams from California to Washington, D.C. competing.
LA fielded two teams in the Soccer League portion of the tournament. Victoria Diaz ‘27, Ethan Pan ‘26, Noah Ronnen ‘26 and Archish Vadlamannati ‘25 comprised one team and Oliver Laskow ‘25, Aron Zhong ‘27 and Lewis Peng ‘27 the other. The Rams finished third and fourth in the Open Division, nearly clenching a trophy. While going up against teams who have competed for years, they came within fractions of a point of earning a spot in the international tournament in Europe this summer.
“It is beyond impressive for a team entering their first competition to perform so well. We couldn’t be prouder,” said Dr. Bob Bowman, Upper School Head.
Our LA robotics students were recognized during the closing awards ceremony for their outstanding level of teamwork: “The WardlaLAartridge teams not only competed admirably but stepped up as hosts, too. Their helpfulness to other teams definitely contributed to the overall success of the event,” said RoboCup organizer Mike Ambrose.
“Being hosts, we had the ability to make other teams feel welcome and encouraged, and were able to get advice and learn strategy from them,” Victoria said. “We made friends with other teams and that built on our creative community throughout the competition.”
Parent, student and staff volunteers pitched in to help; both the LA maintenance and Sage Dining Services teams worked tirelessly to set up, clean up, and execute this massive undertaking. It was all in keeping with the spirit of the day.
“The best part of RoboCup was the camaraderie,” Noah said. “Even though this was our first year, everyone was really supportive. People were borrowing parts from others, and everyone was helping each other. We might not have won but we definitely learned a lot from the other teams!”
“We worked hard this year and were one goal from winning,” Oliver added. “Next year, we hope to get that goal and go to the international competition!”