Bengaluru students won the national title at the World Robotics Olympiad

James and Aarnav won first place in the Future Innovators Junior category at the World Robotics Olympiad for their project. | Photo credit: Special arrangement

James Mathew and Aarnav Ramesh Gowda, 12-year-old students of Brigade School, Malleshwaram, Bengaluru, clinched the national title in the recently concluded World Robotics Olympiad (WRO) 2026 National Championship held in Hyderabad from August 26 to 28.

Biju Mathew, trainer from Sky Walkers Academy said, “I trained James and Aarnav and together we created a solution using robotics and AI which is in line with the theme ‘Robots Meet Culture’.”

James and Aarnav have developed a Music Experience Platform that uses robotic percussion, artificial intelligence and virtual instruments to achieve two goals – to make music in museums more immersive and to bring affordable music education to rural India.

The team beat out nearly 400 teams across the country to secure first place in the Future Innovators Junior category. They will now represent India at the International Championship in San Juan, Puerto Rico scheduled for December 2026.

The World Robot Olympiad is a global STEM competition that brings young innovators together to develop technology-driven solutions.

Published – 11 Sep 2026 21:31 IST