Rutgers Team is a Top-Ranked Robotics Team at the 2025 VEXU World Championship
VEX, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, is the world’s largest robotics competition, bringing student teams of all ages together to showcase their innovative custom-built robots in challenging competitions.
In May, the Rutgers VEXU team–SCAR–joined more than 2,400 robotics teams from across the United States and more than 60 countries in Dallas to compete.
SCAR earned an impressive 22nd place international ranking competing in the VEXU, or university division – a ranking that also cemented their position as the top-ranked robotics team in New Jersey.
Meeting the Challenge with a Unique Design
The VEX University Robotics Competition, or VEXU, pits qualifying teams of university students against one another in a unique game that changes every year. The teams, which have designed, built, and programmed their robots, compete on a 12-by-12 foot foam tile floor, with robots scoring points by manipulating objects and interacting with their environment.
Mechanical engineering majors Jouan Yu, who graduated in May, and rising senior Mahdhav Rawal, were co-presidents of the 15-member Rutgers VEXU Robotics Team, which fosters teamwork and innovation in robotics, over the past year.
“Our robot used a unique roller design to collect rings off the ground, whereas the vast majority of teams used hooked conveyors,” recalled Yu.
Rawal noted how the team focused on the core win conditions of the game, scoring rings, defending corners, and goal possession. “Our simple and effective design allowed us to be reliable in match play and competitive,” he says.
Yu, who will be pursuing his master’s degree in mechanical engineering through the School of Engineering’s BS/MS program, takes pride in his team’s performance. “Our team consistently qualifies for the yearly world championship, and keeping the 5+ year streak alive is very important to me as lead and co-president,” he says. “Moreover, doing well at the world championships proves that our team can compete toe-to-toe against the best teams from around the world. It always feels great to represent Rutgers internationally and win.”
Looking back, Yu has loved the club’s energy. “It’s a lean team of passionate and dedicated people, all working together to build robots to compete internationally,” he says. “I’m a big believer in the future of robotics and automation and am astounded by the advances made recently in the field, such as integration with AI, robotic surgery, and soft robotics. However, to be frank, what excites me the most is the competition aspect of robotics. I love making robots and seeing the innovative and creative solutions others come up with.”
Looking Ahead
Rawal, who plans to continue his club involvement as a consultant for team business, project management, and engineering needs, will be designing robots for the upcoming 2025-2026 season as part of his senior design project.
For him, robotics is a dynamic field that can be implemented in industries like healthcare, manufacturing, and aerospace. “More importantly, I believe robotics is a great catalyst for inspiring the next generation of scientists and engineers,” he explains.
