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VEX Robotics

VEX Robotics is a robotics program for elementary through university students and a subset of Innovation First International. The VEX Robotics competitions and programs are managed by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF).[1] In April 2018, VEX Robotics Competition was named the largest robotics competition in the world by Guinness World Records.[2]

There are four leagues of VEX Robotics competitions designed for different age groups and skill levels:


In each of the four leagues, students are given a new challenge annually and must design, build, program, and drive a robot to complete the challenge as best as they can. The robotics teams that consistently display exceptional mastery in all of these areas will eventually progress to the VEX Robotics World Championship.


The description and rules for the season's competition are released during the world championship of the previous season. Starting in 2021, the VEX Robotics World Championship has been held in Dallas, Texas each year in mid-April or mid-May, depending on which league the teams are competing in.[8]

Sport

Robotics-related games

Tony Norman
Bob Mimlitch

2007

Total Registered: 20,000+
VRC: 11,400
VEXU: 300
50+ countries [14]

Greenville, Texas

2024 VRC HS Worlds:

World Champions:
United States 55286A: "Makapaka"
China 9123C: "Shanghai RuiGuan Team 9123C"
Excellence Award:
United States 2654P: "Pronounce This"

2024 VRC MS Worlds:

World Champions:
United States 462Z: "Wolverines"
China 54001B: "西安市铁一中学"
Excellence Award:
Taiwan 78181A: "Genesis"


(Over Under)

Livestream.com (2013–present)
ESPN2 (2016)
CBS Sports (2017)
YouTube (2020)

VEX Robotics Competition

Each robot is partnered with another robot in a pair called an "alliance". In any given match, each alliance competes against one other alliance. One team is designated as the red alliance, and the other as the blue alliance.

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No robot may exceed the dimensions of an 18-inch cube until the match has begun.

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No robot may contain hardware, software, material, or content that is not distributed by or explicitly allowed by VEX Robotics.

The playing field consists of a 12-foot by 12-foot square of foam tiles bordered by a wall of metal-framed polycarbonate dividers. Anything outside of these border walls is considered as off of the playing field. The various props associated with that season's competition are arranged in a defined and reproducible manner before the start of each match.

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At the start of the match is a 15-second 'autonomous' period, where all four robots navigate the field based on pre-programmed instructions without live driver input.

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After the autonomous period has ended, the 'driver control' period begins. This stage of the match consists of one minute and forty-five seconds of manual control of the robot using one or two handheld controllers utilized by the respective number of 'drivers'. Note: During a match, up to three competitors per robot may be on their alliance's side of the field, outside of the field border, in an area designated as their alliance's 'alliance station'. The field's two alliance stations are more commonly known as 'the driver pits', or simply 'the pits.'

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The object of the match is to attain a higher score, i.e. more points, than the opposing alliance. The method by which the alliances attain these points varies significantly with each season.

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Throughout the match, the blue alliance is not allowed to enter the red alliance's 'protected zone' of the field, and vice versa. The designated areas of the field are often different for each season. However, during the autonomous period, the protected zone normally consists of half of the field where the alliance starts, whereas the driver control period occasionally does not even define a protected zone, as was the case for VRC Tipping Point. Any robot that repeatedly, extensively, and/or intentionally enters the opposing alliance's protected zone will be given a warning, be forced to forfeit the match, and/or be disqualified from the tournament.

Intentionally removing game objects from the field will result in a warning, match forfeit, and/or, if necessary, disqualification.

Intentionally and repeatedly damaging any of the robots involved, either during the match or otherwise, will result in immediate disqualification.

First season

2012

Total Registered: 20,000+ VEXIQ:8,500
50+ countries [14]

Greenville, Texas

2024 VIQC MS Worlds:

World Champions:
China 82366G: "ALCTRON VEX CLUB"
China 80066B: "Burning Brain"
Excellence Award:
United States 10698D: "Red Lightning D"

2024 VIQC ES Worlds:

World Champions:
Canada 252D: "Delta"
United States 4683C: "Magikid Harvest"
Excellence Award:
United States 6593A: "Stallionbots"


(Full Volume)

ESPN2 (2016)
CBS Sports (2017) YouTube (2020-2021)

VEX IQ Challenge

VEX U[edit]

The VEX U level competition is a robotics competition for college and university students that uses the VEX Robotics hardware and V5 electronics. The rules are nearly identical for this competition as for the VEX Robotics Competition, but VEX U teams are allowed to take advantage of more customization and greater flexibility than other levels (teams are granted the ability to use 3D printers and use raw materials such as sheet metal and wood). This allows VEX U teams to have more customization on their robots and construct mechanisms that cannot be created solely via the VEX Robotics hardware. Also, their robot creation is limited by the need to find effective costs and a restricted development environment in order to model a real-world situation. Additionally, rather than being limited to a robot size of an 18-inch cube, VEX U contestants had the freedom to use up to a 24-inch cube of space for their larger robot and up to a 15-inch cube for their smaller robot (thus, each team builds 2 robots, and competes against another team's two robots).[51]


The VEX U competition, although very similar to the VEX Robotics Competition, has some distinct rules. The autonomous period of VEX U competitions is also longer, lasting forty-five seconds versus the fifteen for the VEX Robotics Competition. As a result, the driver control period is shortened to a period of seventy-five seconds immediately after the autonomous period has been scored, and the autonomous bonus has been awarded to the correct alliance to keep matches at a length of two minutes.

VEX AI[edit]

On April 25, 2020, VEX Robotics and the REC Foundation announced a new platform of competitions, the VEX AI Competition. The new platforms will use the VEX V5 Construction and Control System, and registration will be available to high school and college teams.[52][53]


The competition is fully autonomous and will use an array of new sensors, including the VEX Game Positioning System (VEX GPS); VEX AI microprocessor; VEX AI Vision Sensor with depth perception; VEX LINK, a wireless robot-to-robot communications interface; and the VEX Sensor Fusion Map, a new multi-sensor integration technology which uses sensory data from the robots to render the course in real-time 3D. Each team will build and program two robots. Teams will be able to 3D print and machine parts, use custom electronics, and utilize an unlimited quantity of motors.[54]


The pilot program is scheduled to open for registration to university students in the fall of 2020. After registration begins, any high school teams that wish to participate must apply for program admission. Unlike university participants, only those high school teams that show exceptional preparedness for this level of advanced competition will be allowed to compete.[5] VEX AI robotics teams will be able to compete in the VEX AI Competition. Unlike VEX U, this competition will be completely separate from the VRC Competition.[53]

VEX Homepage

Event Calendar