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3. FUTURE Foundation Design Challenge

The FUTURE Foundation exists to advance robotics and technology through education. One of the most promising areas in robotics engineering for the next generation will be in using robotics for entertainment and amusement. The FUTURE Challenge for 2011 is to design and build a robot or robotic machine using VEX components that entertains and/or amuses. Your robot may either be an entertaining machine itself or it can be a working scale VEX prototype of a larger machine. An elegant and entertaining engineering solution demonstrated using VEX is the goal of this challenge.

 

Prizes

• 1st: 2011 FUTURE Foundation Design Challenge Award, $750 vexrobotics.com gift certificate, automatic team qualification for the 2011 VRC World Championship (if part of a registered VRC team)
• 2nd: $500 vexrobotics.com gift certificate
• 3rd: $250 vexrobotics.com gift certificate

Requirements

Requirements

• All machines entered into this contest must use VEX structural components and either PIC or Cortex controllers. Any decorative elements can be of any material of the entrant's choosing. A limited amount of non-VEX material such as tape, non-VEX wire ties, lighting, and sound components may also be used. Non-VEX low-voltage power sources may be used for decorative elements and sound. The intent is to build a VEX robot that entertains or amuses, so only use non-VEX parts when no VEX part will work for the purpose. All motors, sensors, pneumatics, major structural components and computers/controllers used must be VEX.
• This contest is open to students anywhere in the world currently participating on an official VEX Robotics Competition team and registered in an education institution at the middle school, high school or college/university level.
• No team may submit more than one entry. Each team in a multi-team school or club program may enter this competition. Entries may represent a single team or multiple teams from the same school or club.
• Designs submitted in previous Online Challenges are not eligible for submission this year.
• Produce four images showing the completed machine from front, back, side, and top. Other angles are welcome, but not mandatory.
• Create a video of the robot in action posted to YouTube, not more than 90 seconds in length. After your 90 seconds of video demonstrating the robot, you may have up to fifteen 15 seconds of credits. The credits must be at the end, not the beginning of the video.
• Write a document of up to 500 words describing your robot and what it does in either Microsoft Word or PDF.

Judging Entries will be scored by the viewing community in addition to a selected group of professional judges chosen by the RECF. Submissions will be judged using the Evaluation section below.The community voting will determine seven of the ten finalists with three additional submissions chosen by the RECF judging staff. The finalist submissions will then be scored with a weighted system including the community voting scores and scores given by selected professionals. This combined score will determine the FUTURE Foundation Design Challenge winners. Evaluation

• 35 Points: The video clearly shows the robot in action, and shows how it achieves the goals laid out in the written description.
• 20 Points: The degree to which the robot or robotic machine achieves the goal of being entertaining or amusing.
• 20 Points: Written description is clear and informative
• 15 Points: The robot or robotic machine is well made and functional.
• 10 Points: Is the robot safe in use?

Current time:
Tue, Jan 21, 2025 5:34 AM CST

Opens:

Mon, Nov 1, 2010 12:01 AM CDT

Closes:

Sun, Feb 13, 2011 11:59 PM CST

Voting Ends:

Tue, Mar 1, 2011 12:00 AM CST

All Entries
View Finalists
View Winners