Elmira High School students from team 14904B recently competed with and against 56 other teams in the Northern New York State VEX Robotics Championship at Queensbury High School in Queensbury, NY. The action-packed day required the students to execute the 2023-2024 VEX Robotics Competition game, Over Under, presented by the Robotics Education & Competition Foundation (RECF).
The team, consisting of Michael Buccholz, Austin Desyn, and James Long, finished the Qualification round as one of only 5 undefeated teams, and made it all the way to the Quarterfinals. In addition to Qualification and Elimination matches, the team also competed in the Robot Skills Challenge. The team scored 157 points in Driver Skills and 174 points in Programming Skills, which gave them a combined score of 331, which awarded them as Robot Skills Challenge 2nd place. Their programming skills was the top score of the day, and their overall score placed them in 6th place in New York State.
In addition, there score is currently 312th out of over 6,800 teams in the world, placing them in the top 5% of all teams. As a result of their standing, the team has qualified for the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas at the end of April.
To prepare for the tournament, the group worked together to design, build, and program a robot using VEX V5, that could quickly and efficiently solve specific challenges that come with playing the 2023-2024 VEX Robotics Competition game, Over Under. Each week, the students would meet to apply what they have learned about STEM in the classroom to build these semi-autonomous machines. An equally important set of skills is learned through the competition -- communication, project management, time management, and teamwork.
Nathan Smith, Technology & Engineering Teacher at Elmira High School and the team’s coach said, “I am so proud and excited for these young men and all they have accomplished. This is the first high school team from Elmira High School to advance to VEX Worlds. These students have put in countless hours both in and out of school, and their drive is unlike any group of students we have had. I am constantly amazed at their ingenuity, problem solving, and teamwork.”
Elmira Express VEX Robotics teams meet after school multiple days per week in preparing for the season of competitions. In addition, these team members have worked outside of school, on weekends, and during exam weeks and school breaks to perfect their robot. All totaled, the team has put in well over 400 hours of development time. The students learn about electronics, programming in C++, mechanical systems, CNC and manual machining, 3D CAD using Onshape, problem solving and the design process.
The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation manages the VEX Robotics Competition, which thousands of schools participate in around the world each year. Dan Mantz, CEO of the REC Foundation, said, “As an experienced robotics mentor, I’ve seen firsthand the engineering skill and leadership expertise that students gain by participating in the VEX Robotics Competition. It’s an experience that will stay with them long after their school days are over, offering a new appreciation for STEM and laying a strong foundation of critical problem-solving, communication, and teamwork skills that will serve them well throughout their lives.”
Express Robotics team 14904B will competing in the upcoming VEX Robotics World Championship on April 25-27 at the Kay Baily Hutchinson Convention Center in Dallas, TX. The event will feature over 800 teams from over 50 countries, and is open and free for media, families, and other community members to attend. More information on the event can be found at:
https://recf.org/vex-robotics-world-championship/
The team is currently raising funds to help cover the cost of registration, hotels, transportation, food, and other competition related expenses. Interested individuals and companies can contact Coach Smith for more information.
The VEX Robotics World Championship is the culmination of a series of VEX Robotics Competitions taking place internationally throughout the year. VEX Competitions are recognized as the largest and fastest-growing competitive robotics programs for elementary schools, middle schools, high schools, and college-aged students around the world. There are more than 23,000 VEX teams from 58 countries that participate in over 2,300 events worldwide. The competition season culminates each spring, with VEX Robotics World Championship, a highly anticipated event that unites top qualifying teams from local, state, regional, and international VEX Robotics Competitions to crown World Champions. More information about the VEX Robotics Competition is available at roboticseducation.org.
About the Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation
The Robotics Education & Competition (REC) Foundation’s mission is to increase student interest and involvement in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) by engaging students in hands-on, affordable, and sustainable robotics engineering programs.