World Championships Await Parsippany Lego Robotics Team

PARSIPPANY, NJ — If the robots one day take over, then so will some Parsippany second-graders. A rookie Lego robotics team, based in the township, qualified for the competition's world championships.

Now, the HuBotics team could use some help getting to the FIRST Lego League Explore's World Festival/Championships, which take place April 20-23 in Houston. One of the team's coaches set up a GoFundMe to aid their efforts to travel to the competition.

“This is an exemplary opportunity and an honor to be the FIRST Lego League Explore team to represent New Jersey at the World Festival Championship at this young age,” Coaches Nilesh and Meghana Bodade said in a statement.

The HuBotics team — Human Robotics — will represent New Jersey in the FIRST Lego League. The team was one of the youngest to compete against other New Jersey and Pennsylvania squads, having to create solutions around the common theme of cargo.

The group earned the "Best Team Model" award and a chance to participate in worlds. Tens of thousands of kids from around the world will compete at the championship in different age categories. In Houston, HuBotics plans to compete against other teams from around the world with their solution to this year's "cargo/shipping industry" theme.

The team is made up of several second-graders: Raayan Bodade, William Bonfanti, Clairelouise Rivera and Rishith Bhoopathi from Troy Hills Elementary School; and Arjun Jadhav from Apple Montessori Elementary School in Wayne. Parsippany High School freshman Aarjun Bodade mentors the team.

HuBotics presented their project with the RedBots team at Parsippany High School. The team has received invites to Troy Hills Elementary School and Apple Montessori in Wayne to present their project to other students. They also plan to show Parsippany Mayor James Barberio their work later this month.

Click here for the GoFundMe, and visit here for FIRST league info.

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