A Guide to the Vex Robotics Competition
It is vital for students of all ages to explore their interests and build valuable experiences. STEM, especially, is such a broad field and requires many skills. Students can partake in various experience-building and learning opportunities such as competitions, classes, personal projects, and more. One such opportunity is the VEX Robotics Competition.
In this blog post, students and parents can learn about what the competition is, who can compete, and the schedule. We will also talk about the different levels, past years, etc.
What is the VEX Robotics Competition?
The VEX Robotics Competition is a competition available to all students elementary through university. It is a valuable experience that can build various STEM skills and be an incredibly fun experience. The competition takes place in the local, regional, national, and international/world levels. The world level typically takes place in April.
Over the past few years, there have been thousands of teams from over 40 countries playing in hundreds of tournaments in both divisions. One division is for grades 4-8 while the other is for grades 6-12.
What does the competition consist of?
There are 3 types of matches or challenges. One is the Robot Skills challenge, which is essentially a timed round with one robot. Another type is Teamwork challenge, where 2 different teams have to work together to get the best possible score. This challenge is only for the grades 4-8 division. The last type is the Standard match, which is where two pairs of two teams play against one another to win. This type is limited to the grades 6-12 division.
In addition to different types of matches, there are also different events. The VEX IQ Robotics Competition: Full Volume is part of the teamwork challenge, and consists of two robots from different teams working together to score as many points as they can within 60 seconds and then autonomously for another 60 seconds. There is also the VEX Robotics Competition: Over Under, which is played on a 12 foot by 12 foot field consisting of two pairs of two teams against each other. Lastly, there is the VEX AI Competition. This competition is strictly for high school and college students. It consists of 4 autonomous robots. These competitions’ durations are all a total of 2 minutes.
VEX IQ Robotics Competition: Full Volume
This competition is done on a 6 foot by 8 foot rectangular field, and in order to score points, the robots must try to put blocks in their goals. There are 3 goals and 73 blocks. The 3 different types of blocks are different sizes. There are 3 red, 54 green, and 16 purple. 42 blocks are already set on the field, and the other 31 blocks are in the supply zone. Moving the blocks from their positions or the supply zone into the goals result in different numbers of points. Points can also be earned by emptying the supply zone, filling the goals to certain levels, the types of blocks in the goals, and parking correctly afterwards.
The first 60 seconds are where the two teams work together to score as many points as they can. Each robot has 2 drivers, each driving for half of the time. After this driving portion, there is an autonomous coding portion, where the robots are automated to perform the challenges, with no drivers. These points are added up to determine a team’s total score
VEX Robotics Competition: Over Under
Similar to the competition above, this takes place on a 12 foot by 12 foot playing field. However, this time, two pairs of two teams played against each other. There is a 15 second autonomous part followed by a 1 minute and 45 second portion with a driver. The pair of teams with the highest score wins by attempting to place as many Triballs as they can into their goals.
The two pairs or alliances are determined as red or blue. One side of the field is a Red Offensive zone while the other side is a Blue Offensive Zone. They are divided by a barrier. There are 60 Triballs and 2 nets/goals. Points are given based on if a Triball makes it into a net or the opposing team’s offensive zone.
Points are also given based on a robot’s elevation at the end of the match. There are two Elevation bars that consist of different tiers. Points are given based on the heights of the robots relative to one another. 8 bonus points are also given to the pair of teams that performed the ebay in the autonomous portion.
VEX AI Competition
These robots utilize more advanced technologies such as GPS sensors, AI vision systems, Sensor Fusion Maps, Depth Cameras, Position sensors, radios, and more. During this competition, teams build 2 robots, and can use 3D printed, machine, and custom electronic parts. This especially helps build skills in the fields of Mechanical and Electrical engineering as well as Computer Science/Programming.
Standard Awards
There are various standard awards for the VEX Robotics Competitions. Excellence awards are given to the best ‘all around’ team. The Tournament Champions award is given to the two teams that placed first in the finals match of teamwork. There are also Design as well as Robot Skills Champion awards, to award those that had the best design processes and programming or driving skills. Lastly, there are awards for teams that have been recognized by judges for accomplishments and a volunteer of the year award.
Other than these awards, teams can be recognized for Robot Performance or Technical abilities. There are even awards for demonstrating enthusiasm, sportsmanship, etc. Individual awards are given to parents, teachers, mentors, and volunteers.
Takeaways
The VEX robotics competition is a very fun and engaging way for students to improve their programming and building skills. Students will interact with teams from around the world and build relationships with other peers that have similar interests. It is a very valuable experience that can even help teams gain recognition for their skills. Students interested in robotics should definitely participate in the VEX Robotics competitions. They can enter in their local competitions by visiting the website.
About Inspirit AI
AI Scholars Live Online is a 10 session (25-hour) program that exposes high school students to fundamental AI concepts and guides them to build a socially impactful project. Taught by our team of graduate students from Stanford, MIT, and more, students receive a personalized learning experience in small groups with a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.
