Page 38 - EW 1-156 May 2024

Young Achievers

invaluable support and nior electric keyboard in 2020, a gift
encouragement,” says from his parents during the Covid-19
Ayaan. pandemic. “I started learning to play
Last year’s RCAP the keyboard by following YouTube
2023 required compet- tutorials. Soon, I graduated to the
ing teams to develop an Synthesia app, a digital keyboard
autonomous program training platform,” recalls Ayaan.
and a robot capable of When Ayaan turned seven (2021),
independently execut- his father enrolled him in the Sym-
ing a rescue mission for phony Orchestra of India (SOI) Mu-
trapped trekkers within sic Academy of the National Center
an eight-minute deadline. for Performing Arts (NCPA), Mum-
During this short time, bai, under the tutelage of Kazakh
Ayaan (right) & Shaurya the robot was required pianist Aida Bisengalieva. Within
to navigate challenging six months of tutorials and online
terrain following a black classes, Bisengalieva became aware
AYAAN & SHAURYA line and avoiding obstacles to rescue of Ayaan’s extraordinary musical tal-
the trekkers and transport them to a
ent and informed his parents.
secure evacuation zone. Based on Aida’s assessment,
oida-based Ayaan Suri and Looking ahead, the duo is assidu- Ayaan’s father Tanmay Deshpande,
Shaurya Mahajan — mem- ously preparing for the 2024 edition a mathematician at Tata Institute
Nbers of Team Quadrex — are of RoboCup Asia-Pacific after having of Fundamental Research, and his
the newly crowned under-14 junior qualified in the Nationals held in software engineer mother Ashwini,
champions of RoboCup Asia-Pacific February this year. “After Plus Two, decided to homeschool Ayaan, then
(RCAP) 2023, staged between De- we intend to expand our knowledge a class III student attending online
cember 5-9 (2023) at the Alpensia in STEM subjects along with robot- school, to facilitate his learning and
Convention Center in Pyeongchang, ics,” says Shaurya, echoing his team- practice.
South Korea. Team Quadrex was mate’s sentiments. Since his solo debut at NCPA in
among six teams invited from five Fair winds! July 2022, Ayaan has performed
countries to compete in RCAP 2023, Paromita Sengupta (Bengaluru) before several musical maestros.
after winning the RoboCup India This January, he did a gig with Jazz
nationals in Pune last February. legends Herbie Hancock and Dianne
Organised by California-based AYAAN DESHPANDE Reeves.
RoboCup Federation, the RoboCup “All my achievements are thanks
Asia-Pacific competition (estb.1997) to my supportive parents, my piano
is an annual event staged with the umbai-based music prodigy teacher Aida, and Marat Sensei,
objective of attracting young techies Ayaan Deshpande (10) has music director of the SOI Academy,”
from primary-secondary schools Msprung into the global lime- says Ayaan who is currently prepar-
worldwide to showcase their talents light. Last August, he was adjudged ing for the annual SOI concert.
in designing and building high pro- winner in piano proficiency and Clearly this young maestro is cut
ductivity robots. composition at the Golden Key Music out for great things!
Thirteen-year-olds Ayaan and Festival, Vienna. This qualified him Nasrin Modak Siddiqi (Mumbai)
Shaurya, class VIII students of to perform at the winners’ Gala
Noida’s Shiv Nadar School — Concert held at the majestic Ehr-
ranked among India’s Top 10 co-ed bar Hall — once the concert venue
day schools in the recent Educa- for 19th century Western classi-
tionWorld India School Rankings cal composers Brahms, Bruckner
2023-24 — have enthusiastically and Mahler — and at the World
taken to computer programming Composers’ Concert at Bosendor-
and robotics which are on the cur- fer Hall in Mozarthaus (Mozart’s
riculum for all children from class V residence). Last October, Ayaan
onwards. was conferred the Unstoppable 21
“We began learning about robots Award of the Times of India.
using Lego EV3 software. By class Ayaan’s music education began
VII, we felt confident enough to when he was merely five, with
participate in our first robotics Indian classical vocal music. He
competition — the World Robotics however, was attracted to Western
Olympiad (WRO), and successfully classical music and loved listening
advanced to the national level. We to Fur Elise, Mozart’s Sonata and
are very grateful to our computer Turkish March on YouTube. In-
science, robotics teacher-mentors spired by these great compositions,
Kamini Sharma, Ganga Subrama- Ayaan started playing a 61-key ju-
nian, and Pallavi Saran for their

38 EDUCATIONWORLD MAY 2024