VEX Robotics 2025

 Sully, Lucas, Thomas and Joseph, all from Year 9, have spent time this year outside of regular classes, building, programing, testing and competing with a VEX V5 Robotics kit.

The kit includes modular metal parts, gears, wheels, sensors, smart motors, a programmable brain/controller, cables, and software tools that let teams build and code their robots. Teams use parts from the kit to create robots that can do autonomously controlled tasks and respond to driver control during matches. Central to the engineering experience is the design process: brainstorm, build, document, test, iterate, and improve.

Matches are rapid and are based on challenges. Teams work with alliances to score blocks in goals on a field during both autonomous and driver-controlled periods. That’s the core game that our team has competed in at local, state, and national qualifiers.

These competitions aren’t just about robot matches. Teams are also assessed on engineering notebooks and judged on design, innovation, teamwork, and strategic thinking. Good scores in robot skills challenges and judged awards can help teams qualify for the VEX Robotics World Championship the following year.

MECS’ Year 9 team travelled to Adelaide two weekends ago from December 5-7 for the National Championships. They faced some significant challenges over the weekend but approached them with resilience, a positive mindset and creative problem-solving skills. It was a great time where they learnt a lot!

At the start of competition our team-talks were not about winning or having fun (they were travelling interstate with their friends for a robotics comp. the ‘having fun’ part was a given), but about how our goal should be that every alliance team, opposition, referee and judge would walk away from our matches with a positive reflection on how we conducted ourselves and impressed with who we were – not just our robot.

This obviously shone through because at the close of the competition, in front of a packed Adelaide Convention centre, Sully, Lucas, Joseph and Thomas were announced as the ‘Inspire Award’ recipients in their section! Congratulations boys!

Inspire Award Key Criteria:

• Team exhibits passion and positive attitude at the event
• Team exhibits integrity and goodwill towards other teams, coaches and event staff
• Team overcomes an obstacle or challenge, or achieves a goal or special accomplishment at the event
• Team interview demonstrates effective communication skills, teamwork, professionalism, and a student-centered ethos.

Tim Eddy

Year 9 Coordinator / Deputy Head of Secondary / converted robotics enthusiast