The fast-paced and competitive world of robotics tournaments officially starts in Kapolei this Saturday, September 5, with the aio Aloha VEX IQ Qualifying Tournament at Island Pacific Academy (IPA). “Our tournament is the first one this season in the state, actually in the world,” says IPA’s Robotics instructor, Weyland Bailey. “It’s early in the season, so teams have really been scrambling to finish their robots and practice for the new challenge.”
Nearly 20 teams, some with students as young as eight years old, will be among the competitors in this exciting showcase of STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) programs with VEX IQ robots they built themselves. VEX IQ robots can be snapped together easily with gears, wheels, motors, and other parts from a standard kit. Each team has three members: two students who take turns driving the robot and one who acts as coach.
IPA’s three VEX IQ robots are ready for competition in the “Bankshot” challenge this season.
Finished VEX IQ robots vary in design and size but all have one purpose: the robots must be able to maneuver around a dining room table sized “field” during one-minute matches. Using a controller, students must command or “drive” their robot and get it to sweep 3-inch balls off of a slanted platform (1 point each), move as many of the 44 balls into a scoring zone (1 point each), and score a goal with one of the balls (3 points). Additional points can be earned by driving a robot up the slanted platform before the match ends.
The students and their robots competed in three different types of action-packed 60-second matches:
- In the Robot Skills Challenge, one robot takes the field to score as many points as possible under driver control. Students use a joystick pad to control the robot and have to hand-off the controls to the other team member half-way through the minute.
- In the Programming Skills Challenge, one robot scores as many points as possible autonomously. This match is “hands-off” and is a real test of how well students can design a computer program.
- In the Teamwork Challenge, an Alliance of two robots works together in each Match.
All those points add up and determine team rankings. The goal is to earn a high enough ranking by the end of the season to qualify for a berth at the state competition in the spring.
IPA’s VEX IQ teams are two-time state champions having won in 2014 and 2015. Last year Navigator Robotics traveled to the World competition held in Louisville, Kentucky.
Competition matches will begin at 10:00am with the final matches occurring in the early afternoon. The public is invited to attend.
Watch a preview of the 2015-2016 VEX IQ CHALLENGE “Bankshot” here.
