Written by Cadet Max Tomlin and Army Instructor Lisa Rodriguez
Congratulations to the cadets of James Hillhouse High School in New Haven, Conn. The “Bulldog Brainiacs” Robotics and Drone Team recently competed in the first Robot Drone League Regional Competition at Revere High School in Revere, Mass.
The Bulldog Brainiacs won a total of five awards, and were named the 2025 Northeast JROTC Regional Alliance Champion.
The Robot Drone League created a safe, fun, and challenging experience for the six teams that participated in the Moonbase Challenge. This challenge consisted of a round-robin competition, in which each team’s robot and drone were required to drive or fly autonomously for one minute, executing specific tasks that the cadets had previously coded them to perform. After that, the teleoperation portion required cadets to control their robot or drone to retrieve various items on the Moonbase Challenge course.
“As someone who has only been involved with robotics for a short amount of time, I’ve learned a lot about science, technology, engineering and math,” said Cadet Max Tomlin. “The skills that I’ve acquired will not only help me with robotics in the future, but also with school. My teammates and I all had an amazing time, and we were able to socialize with other teams, create new bonds, learn more information about technology, and win awards!”
Robotics and drone competitions are the ultimate hands-on lab. They turn abstract concepts into tangible, high-stake problems that require real-time solutions. Cadets used engineering design and computer-aided design (CAD) to build the robots, and learn through the process of building, testing, failing and redesigning. Robotics and drone assembly also teaches collaborative engineering, which solidifies core JROTC curriculum like team building, communication, decision making, and project management.
Cadet Mali’Ann Johnson described her experience as “fun and a little stressful … but as the competition went on, it became less stressful and a lot of fun!”
