Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (REC Foundation)

The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation seeks to increase student interest and involvement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by engaging students in hands-on sustainable and affordable curriculum-based robotics engineering programs across the U.S. and internationally. The REC Foundation develops partnerships with K-12 education, higher education, government, industry, and the non-profit community to achieve this goal.

VEX IQ Challenge

The VEX IQ Challenge, presented by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, provides elementary and middle school students with exciting, open-ended robotics and research project challenges that enhance their science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) skills through hands-on, student-centered learning.

Overview, Current Challenge, Teams, Event Documents, Volunteers,
Nelson Team Grants

2016-2017 VEX IQ Challenge Game: Ringmaster

Ringmaster is played on a 4’x8’ rectangular field configured as seen above. Two robots compete in the Teamwork Challenge as an alliance in 60 second long teamwork matches, working collaboratively to score points. Teams also compete in the Robot Skills Challenge where one robot takes the field to score as many points as possible. These matches consist of Driving Skills Matches, which will be entirely driver controlled, and Programming Skills Matches, which will be autonomous with limited human interaction.

The object of the game is to attain the highest score by Scoring colored Rings on the Floor Goal and on Posts, by having Uniform Posts, by Emptying Starting Pegs, and by Releasing the Bonus Tray.

VEX Robotics Competition (VRC)

The VEX Robotics Competition, presented by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, is the largest and fastest growing middle school and high school robotics program globally with more than 18,000 teams from 40 countries playing in over 1,350 competitions worldwide. Each year, an exciting engineering challenge is presented in the form of a game. Students, with guidance from their teachers and mentors, build innovative robots and compete year-round.

In addition to learning valuable engineering skills, students gain life skills such as teamwork, perseverance, communication, collaboration, project management, and critical thinking. The VEX Robotics Competition prepares students to become future innovators with 95% of participants reporting an increased interest in STEM subject areas and pursuing STEM-related careers.

Overview, Current Challenge, Teams, Event Documents, Volunteers

VEX U

The VEX U college and university competition has more than 350 teams competing in local tournaments and at VEX Worlds. Based on the VEX Robotics Competition, VEX U teams are allowed more customization and greater flexibility than other grade levels while providing the effective costs and real-world limitations of a restricted development environment. See more on why colleges get involved in the VEX U program.

Overview, Current Challenge, Teams, Event Partners and Event Documents

2016-2017 VRC and VEX U Game: In the Zone

VEX Robotics Competition In the Zone is played on a 12’x12’ square field configured as seen above. Two alliances – one “red” and one “blue” – composed of two teams each, compete in matches consisting of a fifteen second autonomous period followed by one minute and forty-five seconds of driver-controlled play.

The object of the game is to attain a higher score than the opposing Alliance by Stacking Cones on Goals, by Scoring Mobile Goals in Goal Zones, by having the Highest Stacks, and by Parking Robots.

Each Robot (smaller than 18"x18"x18") begins a match on one of their Alliance Starting Tiles.

There are eighty Cones that can be Stacked on ten Goals, while some Goals can be Scored into Zones; teams also score points for having different types of Highest Stacks and by Parking at the end of the Match.

Team and Event Registration

Previous VEX Competitions

View information about previous VEX IQ Challenge and VEX Robotics Competition / VEX U games at Robotics Education & Competition Foundation Competition History.

Additional Information

Nancy McIntyre, Regional Support Manager
Nancy_McIntyre@roboticseducation.org

Tarek Shraibati, Regional Support Manager
Tarek_Shraibati@roboticseducation.org

Robotics Education & Competition Foundation

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