"Thinking Outside The Box" Photography Challenge
Now that the COVID-19 pandemic is global and most of us are practicing social distancing to help flatten the curve, that leaves many of us with a lot of downtime or finding unique ways to accomplish a goal. With school or activities being hybrid, virtual, or in-person, we wanted to come up with a new photography challenge for this season.
Take some time to focus your mind and attention on some photo projects that can help you become a better photographer and to think outside the box. Part of becoming an improved photographer is understanding how to challenge yourself to put the skills you already have to the test and acquire new skills that will allow you to expand your boundaries as a photographer and a member of the VEX community.
With this challenge, you will not travel to far-off locations to find material worthy of a photo. We want you to submit a photo of something or someone in your everyday life that reminds you of your experience with VEX Robotics and why. Compose a photo that conveys an emotion, specifically the feeling you experience when you are reminded of the season’s before and what you love most.
Entries
Threads of Power
Last year, me and my teammates had just freshly constructed our robot with the intention of being able to gather multiple elements and distribute them across the goals. We had just had our robot destroyed from an incident. In a time of desperation, innovation sprang forward as a rack that’d have spacing in-between gaps. This rack would be able to interlock the elements on the field. We had been reignited with robust hope in winning the competition celebrating our new victory. We had now been empowered.
Christian Hernandez
36637A - We Will Never Forget our Friend
"We will never forget our friend"
We have made this photo because of the death of our friend due to the infection of Coronavirus. Right now, we are working on the VEX Change UP Challenge, and our friends’ memory will remain refreshing in our hearts. Besides, his past participation at the ROBOPOWER team would stay alive on our minds. We created this photo and participated in the "Thinking Outside The Box" Photography Challenge to share our feelings and make the memory alive in our hearts.
A 20x20 Robot
One brother builds Robots, the other is a Robot. But to compete, they have to first pass inspection. Thinking outside the box isn't bad, but being outside the 18'' box in inspection is.
Step by step: Robotics Journey
My picture represents my team’s path to success. As you can see, at the bottom of my staircase there are a bunch of robot parts. These robot parts represent the beginning of our journey when we were figuring out what to use. On the next stair, there are three claws. My team and I were trying to figure out what type of claws we wanted and how we wanted them to work. Then, on the second stair there is a bottom piece that you can use to push pieces. Finally, on the top I put our final robot.
(This was taken and written by Sia Handa, a member of my...
From Plushies to Perfect Partners
Starting robotics freshman year, the people and places were unfamiliar. Our team wasn't close and group meetings were often awkward. But one day, another team brought in a little dinosaur stuffed animal. His name was Sammy. Our team wanted one too. We thought about it for a long time and decided on a little lion. We named him Vijay Gupta, Vi for short. So how does all this relate to robotics? Well, Vi is like our mascot and a symbol of the first time our team did something together. He's an embodiment of our team and what it stands for. Lions are loyal, strong, and...
"Trial and Error"-Marcello Garbo
Things don’t always work out. Whether it be a motor overheating in the middle of a competition or in this case, a 3D print failing, problems can always happen. Robotics has taught me to be resilient when it comes to issues like these. Analyzing errors and making improvements is fundamental, even if we’re not building in person. Although we’re not doing live competitions or builds due to social distancing, we came up with innovative ways to engage with the community through Computer Aided Design and 3D printing. At the end of the day, it truly is just trial and...
Retired Games Showcase
In this picture you will see how my coach has set up the past year's games. She displays these so students can see past games and see how themselves and the game has changed over the years. The display insspires kids to keep moving forward when things get difficult. Our display stats at ringmaster and ends (for now) at rise above, which isn't finished yet. VEX is very challenging and seeing other classes before you get through it and succeed is a reminder we all need every once in awhile. It's nice to know that winning is possible and you have an entire team behind you...
Back to Basics
This is an image of the base of our robot. We chose this picture because it shows what start with and build on top of. The base along can't do much, but combined with the other elements, it creates a functioning robot. Even though the base alone can't complete any tasks, it is still an incredibly important component of the robot. The base is what brings all the other parts together, so it is necessary for a good robot. This picture also represents robotics, because just like how a robot requires a base, learning robotics starts from the basics. Most of our team just started VEX...
Ready for Anything
Ready for Anything
Even though covid is in the midst and we are in a pandemic environment, we still need to work together. Not only work together, but unite! We can wear face masks and wash our hands to keep healthy and protect others but that doesn't mean we don’t work hard and do our best. Vex IQ has brought us together and helped us to remember why it is important to stay in school and why we are very lucky to be in school. We are fortunate enough to compete even if it is just amongst ourselves. We are so...
The Simple Joys of Routine
Even if it just appears to be another ordinary day at the club, it's precisely these very same ordinary days which we love so much about robotics. The engaging conversations and problem solving, the joking around, the dirtied hands, the playtesting—all of these aspects, while seemingly unnoteworthy on the surface, are really where some of our greatest joys come from with robotics. After all, it's during our these times spent working on the robot, even on these seemingly average workdays, where we make some of our best memories.
The Old College Try
Team members using critical thinking skills while having fun.
Building More than a Robot
The picture is of two teamates building the teams robot. This picture shows teamates building a robot, but they are also building a friendship. It shows how the robotics competition both exercises the mind and creates relationships.
Accelerating Accomplishment
Title: Accelerating Accomplishment
Team: 7701E Echo
Entrant: Lilia Arrizabalaga
This year our team won its second-ever excellence award at the first competition of the season. We were incredibly proud of having an award-winning robot in time for the first competition as it usually takes us several months to perfect our robot.
Working everywhere
This picture was taken at one of our houses. This was us working on our VEX IQ STEM Reserch Project script. This picture truly shows that when it comes to the art of stem and robotics, we do it everywhere.
Distant But Together
In this photo, I wanted to show the atmosphere of a competition. This was taken with a wide angle lens to show the full experience of these competitions. I chose to edit it to be more dramatic to emphasize the drastic change to this competition style while the bright colors(and increased exposure/brilliance) show how we can still find joy in these experiences. This photo reminds me of Vex because it shows the activity that I love and the family that my club has created along with how we are all able to persevere and continue this great activity.
"Thinking Outside The Box" Photography Challenge
Here is Team 5081E's submission for the "Thinking Outside The Box" Photography Challenge.
Code, Like Cables
Thinking Outside The Box - MS Competition w/ picture
(Student - Amelia -C. Code Like Cables)
VEX Robotics for Everyone
We were showing our friends how to make a robot with a VEX kit. We have helped them to make their robots by themselves. Despite the Corona Virus, and the world's closure to prevent the spread of the disease, the Robopower team took the precautions and did not stop their work. We love working on VEX robots, we took preventive measures and start working to get a place at the world championship this year.
File
Ahhhh the file! The best talks happen when filing. When I first joined my team I was completely new to high school level vex so Cassidy handed me the file while she showed me how to handle parts and building. To me, filing is always fun because it gives you a chance to take a break from building or doing the notebook to talk to your team and learn more about each other. It also reminds me of my first day in robotics.
One Last Run...
Throughout the years robotics has been a constant stability that has always gotten me through my weeks. Even when it is stressful and confusing it always seems to know how to make it better. Life won't be the same without you, and I am so glad I get one more year of these grand old traditions. As we build and go through the tournaments our teams always seem to get closer, and gives us the opportunity to meet new individuals that eventually become our closest friends -even though they are from different schools. In the stress of the meets, especially at state, all teams...
Robotics at a distance
During the harsh times during COVID-19, our team 39X, and Cranbrook Robotics as a whole, had to adapt to social distancing while building our robot. Maintaining a distance of 6 feet was difficult for us, but we tried our best to be safe while building our robot. Despite the normalcy of the scene depicted in the photo, robotics was not always like this. In past years we could have our whole team come into the lab at once, unlike now where we can only have 3 people. It brought a sense of togetherness and brought our team closer together.
The Team in Teamwork
Robotics is a very vast subject with many different branches - no two branches are the same. Similarly, no people working in the field are the same. This can also be applied to high school. Every student and team have their own ideas to compete. This is what makes each team unique. These teams and clubs also help strengthen and form new relationships between people, like in this picture. These students have formed life long friendships. It is not just about the competition, it is also about having fun and being supportive and accepting of everybody.