The KUdos team from Kettering University in Flint brought home the Excellence Award and the Energy Award from the recent 2025 VEX AI Robotics Competition Championship in Houston.
KUdos achieved an undefeated record in all of its qualification matches and earned the No. 1 ranking among collegiate teams heading into the Houston event.
The VEX AI awards come on the heels of a top showing at the VEX Worlds competition in Dallas in May, where the team brought home the Innovate Award, which recognizes the team whose engineering approach challenges convention and advances the game.
“Winning the Excellence Award (at Houston) is the culmination of everything we’ve worked toward,” says Nathan Nguyen, a mechanical engineering major and team captain. “It’s not just about building a robot; it’s about engineering, strategy, documentation, and collaboration, the complete package that defines a championship team.”
The Excellence Award is one of the highest honors in VEX AI competitions, recognizing overall excellence across both judged categories and on-field performance.
Criteria include a fully developed engineering notebook, demonstration of independent inquiry, strong interviews, student-centered ethos, and consistently ranking in the top 40 percent in qualification matches, robot skills, and autonomous coding skills challenges.
The Energy Award recognizes the team that maintains a high level of excitement throughout the event.
“Everywhere we went, people wanted to talk about our robots,” says Connor O’Keefe, a computer science major and strategy lead for the team. “It wasn’t just about us. It was about inspiring others and sharing the passion we have for robotics.”
Nguyen adds, “Our team has always been about bringing energy and positivity, whether we’re answering questions from younger competitors or cheering on other teams. Winning the Energy Award was a reminder that robotics is as much about community as it is about competition.”
This season, KUdos reportedly made history with a groundbreaking design: “Rafiki” and “Simba,” two robots operating as one throughout an entire match.
“That idea came up early in the season,” Nguyen says. “No one’s done it in any VEX high school, university, or AI competition before, and it changed the way we approached the game.”
Their “strategy dictates design” philosophy shaped every decision. “We don’t innovate just to stand out,” O’Keefe explains. “Every idea is a deliberate choice to support our game plan and make sure we lead the competition.”
Kettering officials credit the KUdos team’s success to the university’s hands-on, experiential learning.
“My Co-Op in program management taught me how to lead cross-disciplinary teams,” says O’Keefe, who has “co-opped” with MAHLE in Troy. “That experience was invaluable in building a winning robotics team.”
Nguyen agrees. “Kettering’s Co-Op program lets me work back home in California while continuing to innovate and compete on campus. It’s hands-on, paid experience that gives us an edge.” Nguyen’s co-op assignment was at RadiaBeam in Santa Monica, Calif.
Other members of the team included Katee Callicutt, a mechanical engineering major; A.J. Martinek, a computer science major; Andrew Bolthouse, an engineering major; Adreiana Lippolis, a computer science major; Chris Schutter, a mechanical engineering student; and Cameron Smith, a mechanical engineering student.
