31 July 2025
The RoboCup Competition is the third-largest robotics competition in the world, bringing together students from across the globe to solve real-world problems through robotics. After winning both the State and National RoboCup Junior Open Rescue-Line competitions in 2024, Brayden Xu (10 FLL) and Charles Nguyen (10 SHT) were selected to represent Australia at the International RoboCup Junior Competition in Salvador, Brazil. Competing against teams from 22 countries, their selection was a remarkable achievement and a proud moment for both Australia and St Peter’s College.
Since January, Brayden and Charles dedicated 4 to 5 hours each week to refining their robot, constantly modifying its design and updating its code to meet the international competition’s demanding standards. Every mechanical adjustment required careful reprogramming—an ongoing cycle of innovation, testing and improvement. Despite their preparation, the true test came in Brazil, where the conditions and challenges were unknown until the first round. Held over five days in July, the competition included eight different courses, each simulating a disaster scenario in which the robot had to locate and rescue a pod of survivors. Teams also faced a Technical Challenge, requiring them to adapt their code to a surprise situation within a strict three-hour window. Additionally, the Super Teams Challenge saw each team paired with another from a different country, with just three hours to collaborate and program two robots to work together in a joint rescue mission.
After a challenging first round, Charles and Brayden regrouped and pushed forward with determination. Their persistence paid off, and by the end of the day, they had earned enough points to move into 17th place. Over the course of the competition, their commitment to continuous improvement saw them rise steadily through the ranks, ultimately finishing in the top twelve teams—an outstanding and inspiring result.
Colin Becker
Robotics Teacher/Coordinator
