Moses Brown’s Upper School VEX Robotics Team qualified for the 2026 VEX Robotics World Championship, which took place at the America’s Center Convention Complex in St. Louis, Missouri. Wrapping up the last week of April, the event marked the first time since 2018 that MB has competed on the world stage.
Hosted by the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation, the tournament brings together top-tier student teams from over 30 countries for high-stakes matches, skills challenges, and technical presentations.
“We arrived at the America’s Center Convention Complex amazed by the magnitude of the stadium and the sheer number of teams competing,” enthused the members of MB’s team, 1784 Z: The Return.
Team members and coaches kept a daily journal of their experience, which you can read below.
Day 1: Greetings from St. Louis! (From Risheth R. ‘28, Aarav G. ‘28, and Leo L. ‘28) We are proud to carry on the legacy of MB’s 2018 Worlds Team, 1784 Z Mbedded Robotics. Upon arriving at the convention center, we were amazed by the scale of the stadium and the roughly 900 teams competing. We were immediately welcomed by students from all over the world, including neighbors in the Pit Station from Australia, New Zealand, and China.
Later, we headed to the Dome for the opening ceremony. We were mesmerized by the light show, the Parade of Nations featuring students in cultural attire, and inspiring addresses from St. Louis city officials and robotics alumni. During the inspection process, we met a team from Georgia who were incredibly helpful and kind; they shared technical tips with us, and by a stroke of luck, they became our very first qualification match partners. We learned so much on Day 1, which helped us evolve our strategy for the five games scheduled for Day 2.
A Note from Coaches Dave and Brendan: This trip wouldn’t be complete without indulging the “diner lovers” among us and taking in the sights of St. Louis! Our first day included a great breakfast stop, the Opening Ceremony in the Dome, and a visit to the Arch in Gateway Park.
Day 2 Update: We started the day with multiple practice runs to ensure our autonomous code was consistent. Our first match of the day resulted in a loss, a streak that unfortunately continued through the next four games. However, we learned not to let a loss dampen our morale. We met many great people, started a “photo scavenger hunt,” and gained valuable insights into drivetrain mechanics to carry into next year. This experience set us up well for Day 3!
Days 3 & 4: (From Leo L. ‘28) We went straight to the practice field to test our “auton” (the period where the robot runs independently without human control) before jumping into our first morning game. In that match, our alliance ran a solo autonomous routine and secured several control zones, leading us to a victory! We won our second match as well, eventually finishing the day with a 3-2 record for the session.
Our Pit neighbors were from Taiwan, and we became fast friends; they even helped us check and fix our robot’s drivetrain. Meanwhile, Aarav continued the “scavenger hunt” Brendan started for us, meeting and photographing people from every continent. That evening, while playing cards in the hotel lobby, two members of a Las Vegas team joined us. It was a lot of fun just talking and getting to know other students.
Final Coaches’ Note: The team had a fantastic Day 3, notching three wins and making significant improvements to their robot and code. We made sure to explore the city, finding an excellent Mediterranean spot for falafel and stopping by Pharaoh’s Donuts for a treat. Throughout the day, teams from around the world visited our pit to place stickers on a map Brendan purchased to track our new international connections.
In the evening, we walked to Union Station–a stunning historic train hub converted into a hotel and mall–where we visited an old-fashioned soda shop for ice cream.
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It was a wonderful “return to Worlds” for MB!
