James and Aarnav won the first place for their project in the Future Innovators Junior category at the World Robotics Olympiad.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
James Mathew and Aarnav Ramesh Gowda, 12-year-old students from Brigade School, Malleshwaram in Bengaluru, have secured the national title in the recently-concluded World Robot Olympiad (WRO) National Championship 2026, held in Hyderabad from August 26 to 28.Biju Mathew, coach from Sky Walkers Academy, said: “I trained James and Aarnav and together we built a solution using robotics and AI that aligns with the theme ‘Robots Meet Culture’.”James and Aarnav developed the Music Experience Platform that uses robotic percussion, AI, and virtual instruments to achieve the two objectives of making music more immersive in museums and bringing affordable music education to rural India.The team outperformed nearly 400 teams nationwide to clinch the first place in the Future Innovators Junior category. Now, they will represent India at the international championship in San Juan, PuertoRico, scheduled in December 2026.The World Robot Olympiad is a global STEM competition that brings together young innovators to develop technology-driven solutions. Published - September 11, 2026 09:31 pm IST
