Robotics:
Is It a Sport?
Rethinking Sport in the Age of Robotics
Every robotics match begins with a countdown. Months of designing, building, and practising come down to a few minutes on the field — strategy, teamwork, pressure, and one small mistake that can change everything.
With a Foreword by Geet Sethi
Padma Shri, Khel Ratna & Arjuna Awardee, Five-time World Professional Billiards Champion
by Sai Pranav Gandhi · ISBN: 978-93-344-8570-7

Table of Contents
Explore how robotics competitions compare with traditional sports across 11 thought-provoking chapters.
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Robotics: Is It a Sport? - Flipbook Reader
The Journey
From first robotics competition to international recognition - a timeline of growth, challenges, and achievements in STEM and robotics education
World Robot Olympiad (WRO) debut
Theme: Food Matters (Waste Sorting). Learned critical lessons on sensor calibration and PID for line following.
FIRST LEGO League (FLL) "Into Orbit"
Innovation Project: Soil-less germination (tissue paper/cocopeat). Inclusion workshop for ~40 children; won Inspirational Team Award.
MIT App Inventor Hackathon finalist
Built "Prevention > Cure (P>C)" wellness app during the pandemic; promoted daily mindfulness, fitness, and brain games.
VOX (civic engagement app) – People's Choice at MIT Appathon
Hyperlocal platform for ideas/complaints, voting, and tracking actions with authorities.
MakeX "Zero Carbon" success (India + International)
National Champion (India) and Silver Medal (Runner-up) at the Bangkok International Invitational; notable "Plants Research" task strategy.
FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) "Power Play"
First FTC season: large-team build, alliance strategy; learned CAD (Fusion 360), 3D printing custom parts (e.g., cone grabber), and advanced Java/Blocks programming.
FIRST Global Challenge (FGC), Singapore: Hydrogen Horizons
Selected via trebuchet (27 m launch) challenge; reached semifinals and won Safety Award, Gold (Helping Hand), Silver (Fundraising), and Social Media Award; major outreach/fundraising movement in Goa.
Bebras India Computational Thinking Challenge
National Champion with a perfect score (100%) among 40,000+ participants.
MIT AI + Education Summit (MIT, USA)
Presented "AllergyAlly" (AI-powered allergy assistant); won 3rd prize in poster presentation; visited MIT Media Lab; launched the transcontinental "empowerED" student initiative.
FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) "REEFSCAPE" with Team R-Factor 6024
Currently participating in the most advanced level of FIRST robotics competitions with team-based robot design and programming.
