More than 30,000 students from all 50 states and more than 50 countries are participating in the 16th annual VEX Robotics World Championship, which started on April 25 and will end on May 4 in Dallas, Texas.
The event, organized by the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation, is the world’s largest robotics competition, with students showcasing their custom-built robots and competing in various challenges that test their skills in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
The students, ranging from elementary to university age groups, have qualified for the championship through state and regional competitions throughout the year. They will compete in three categories: VEX IQ Challenge (Elementary & Middle School), VEX Robotics Competition (Middle School & High School), and VEX U (College/University).
It’s All About STEM
The goal of the event is to celebrate STEM education and inspire the next generation of innovators and problem solvers. According to Dan Mantz, CEO of the REC Foundation, “The value of regional competitions throughout the season and this world championship helps teach real-world skills and prepare students for a range of technology careers.”
Global partners sponsoring the event include, Northrop Grumman Foundation, Google, NASA, Tesla, MathWorks, US Navy, USAF Special Warfare, Kettering University, Magikid, Texas Instruments, Onshape, Dallas Sports Commission, and the US Army.
Tony Norman, Co-Founder and President of VEX Robotics, said “We’re once again so thrilled to have the VEX Robotics World Championships hosted in Dallas. It is truly an inspiration to see students from all over the world come together to compete and show off their achievements in relation to STEM. The dedication, perseverance, and ingenuity they showcase is building the foundation for a truly remarkable future.”
The Tipping Point?
The championship will take place at the Kay Bailey Hutchison Convention Center, where more than 1,600 teams will compete on 80 fields across 1.3 million square feet of space. The event will also feature workshops, exhibits, guest speakers, entertainment and awards ceremonies.
The competition challenges are based on this year’s theme of “Tipping Point”, which involves balancing mobile goals on platforms and scoring rings on branches. The teams have to design and program their robots to perform these tasks autonomously or with remote control within a limited time.
It’s expected the event will attract more than 100,000 spectators online and in person, as well as media coverage from local and national outlets. The competition is also being live-streamed on YouTube and Twitch for those who cannot attend.
More information about the event can be found at vexworlds.com.
