Wilton Dominates State Championship in Robotics, Again Ascends to World Competition

After an intense day of field matches, judging sessions and gracious professionalism at the FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) Lego League Robotics State Championships on Saturday, Dec. 13, two Wilton teams achieved remarkable success.

Competing against 48 of Connecticut’s top teams — selected from an initial pool of 148 — in a robotics competition designed for students aged 5-14, both Allied Algorithms and Singularity Technology Juniors brought home major awards. Allied Algorithms won the championship title and will advance to the World Championships in Houston this April. Singularity Technology Juniors earned the Motivate Award, recognizing their embodiment of FIRST’s core values of discovery, innovation, impact, inclusion, teamwork and fun.

The Competition

Teams faced 15 preset missions on a 4-foot by 8-foot field in three two-and-a-half-minute matches, with a maximum possible score of 545 points. Each mission required precise python programming and strategic robot design using Lego Spike-Prime kits. Missions included uncovering shipwrecks, retrieving artifacts and rebuilding statues.

Beyond robot performance, teams also developed and presented innovation projects based on this year’s theme, “Unearthed,” aimed at helping address real-world challenges in archaeology and artifact conservation. Teams were evaluated on their research process, creativity, potential impact and ability to communicate their ideas cohesively — skills that extend beyond robotics into scientific inquiry and entrepreneurship.

Allied Algorithm’s Championship Performance

Allied Algorithms members Siddharth Agarwal, Tanush Nareddy, Aariv Mulki and Sarthak Shetty impressed judges with both their robot’s performance and their artifact preservation chamber innovation project. Their robot demonstrated exceptional consistency across all three matches, executing multiple missions in single runs.

The judges remarked that Allied Algorithms’ open-source projects, self-coded website and app made them stand out among other teams. The team’s commitment to sharing their code and designs online exemplifies FIRST’s values of cooperation and knowledge-sharing within the robotics community. Their open-source contributions include auto-correction code, browser-based online robot build instructions, and a simulation and documentation platform that helps other teams accelerate their development process.

The championship victory represents months of dedication, with the team meeting multiple times weekly since the start of the school year. The team, now in its fifth year, is coached by parent volunteers Amit Agarwal and Ganesh Mulki.

Singularity Technology Junior’s Community-Driven Success

Singularity Technology Juniors features team members Sloka Attaluri, Namya Chouhan (Ridgefield), Myra Jaiswal, Julian Kulon, Arya Mital, Aniketh Nagelli, Aarya Patel, Aaryan Patel, Aryan Saagi and Anaya Uttamchandani. The team spirit that earned them the Motivate Award was on full display as they waddled up to collect their trophy in their Perry the Platypus costumes.

Singularity Technology Juniors is sponsored and supported by Wilton Library and the Robotics Catalyst Foundation (RCF) — a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded by Wilton High School students.

High school mentors Leonardo Kulon, William Olmstead and Vivaan Uttamchandani, who lead Singularity Technology Juniors’ parent team — Wilton Library’s Singularity Technology FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team — and direct the Robotics Catalyst Foundation, have been guiding the First Lego League team for the past two years. Lead parent coaches include Chintan Patel and Venu Attaluri.

A Growing Trend

The teams’ state championship success continues a remarkable trend in Wilton robotics. Last spring, Singularity Technology Juniors’ parent team, Wilton Library’s Singularity Technology, won the FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) state championship and competed at the World Championships in Houston.

At the high school level, Wilton students now have access to a dedicated robotics lab and Robotics I & II classes. The lab also houses a new VEX robotics team, sponsored and mentored by the Robotics Catalyst Foundation.

Wilton Public Schools, through its STEM Committee, has made meaningful progress at the elementary and middle school levels, including the introduction of new programming classes and updated robotics kits for i-STEM courses. Last weekend’s success further underscores the strength of these efforts at Middlebrook, with extracurricular robotics programs seeing growing enthusiasm.

Looking Ahead with Robotics Catalyst Foundation

The Robotics Catalyst Foundation serves as a central hub for supporting robotics in Wilton. Founded and run by Wilton High School students, the Foundation provides mentorship, resources and financial support to robotics teams across all age groups and competition formats. RCF operates primarily through community donations and volunteer support.

Donations are urgently needed to support Wilton’s robotics teams. RCF is supporting Allied Algorithms to provide mentorship and funds on their historic journey to the World Championship in Houston this April. The Foundation has set a goal to raise $10,000, with current contributions primarily funding Allied Algorithms’ trip to the World Championship — covering flights, accommodations and registration fees. Additionally, donations will support all existing robotics teams in Wilton and the launch of additional robotics teams this spring.

Every dollar donated directly impacts local students’ ability to compete, learn and grow through robotics. Community members can contribute through the Foundation’s website.

Wilton elementary, middle and high school students interested in joining or starting robotics teams can contact RCF online. Anyone interested in volunteering for the Foundation is also encouraged to reach out.