Earlier this month, Cincinnati Automation Applications Engineer Alex Smith had a chance to participate in the Cov Cath Colonel Classic. It’s a Vex robotic competition that happens annually and pits High School and Middle School students against one another in several different events. Alex acted as a judge this year and shared some thoughts on his experience. “I couldn’t believe how advanced some of the younger teams were. It was pretty amazing to see 12 and 13 year olds out there competing head to head with 17 and 18 year olds and actually winning! Many of the ideas were similar, but it was the subtle changes from one robot to the next that determined the winner in most scenarios.”
The main goal this year was to lift as many cones as possible and stack them onto either the post goals, or the mobile goals and move them into the corner goals. The teams were using pneumatics, electric motors, pulleys, and built the frames from a similar but more-simple version of the extrusion Cincinnati Automation uses on their machines. Several teams from the Elizabethtown area of Kentucky were among the best and brightest teams on display. Two of their teams were awarded bids to the state level competition where they will then go on to nationals if they perform well.
It was an honor for Cincinnati Automation to again be able to send someone to judge the competition and to sponsor one of the battle pits. If you or anyone you know are interested in getting involved in the Vex robotics competition circuit, visit their website at https://www.vexrobotics.com/ or contact your local school district. It is a truly wonderful way to engage the young of today with STEM education.
