KUdos, Kettering University’s VEX-U robotics team, opened its competitive season with a strong showing at the Illini VURC Cornfield Clash 1, hosted at the Siebel Center for Design at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Competing against 12 university teams from across the Midwest and beyond, including Purdue University, The Ohio State University, and the Milwaukee School of Engineering, KUdos earned second place overall and secured a VEX-U Worlds qualification in its first event of the season.
Their robot pair, Luigi and Guido, named after the mechanics from the movie Cars, combined consistent on-field performance with a documented engineering process that stood out to judges.
The team also earned second place in Skills and was recognized with the Design Award, one of the most rigorous judged awards at VEX-U competitions.
Design Award Recognition
The Design Award recognizes excellence in the Engineering Design Process, team organization, and professional documentation. Judges evaluate teams on the quality and completeness of their Engineering Notebook, the clarity of their team interview, and how effectively students manage time, resources, and collaboration.
According to the award criteria, winning teams demonstrate:
A fully developed and well-organized Engineering Notebook
Clear documentation of the design process from concept through execution
Strong alignment between notebook content, robot design, and interview responses
Effective communication, teamwork, and professionalism
A student-centered approach to problem-solving and iteration
KUdos met all criteria, earning recognition for both technical rigor and presentation.
Team members included:
Nathan Nguyen ‘26, Team Captain, Design and Fabrication Lead, Drive Coach
Mactar Gueye ‘30, Programmer, Designer, Driver
Daniel Buddington ‘30, Pit Crew, Driver
William Tritremmel ‘30, Pit Crew, Human Player
With a tournament finalist finish, a Design Award win, and a Worlds qualification secured at their first event, the team now advances to VEX-U Worlds, where they will compete against top university teams from around the globe.
