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3. FUTURE Foundation Robot Construction Challenge

Design a robot that can provide companionship, assist with simple tasks, and could be integrated into a home environment of the future.  Use VEX parts in at least 50% of the design, including the use of a VEX control system. Design your futuristic robot to perform functions that are safe for the robot and anyone with whom it would interact. 

 

Prizes

• 1st: FUTURE Foundation Robot Construction Award: $750 VEXrobotics.com gift certificate and automatic team qualification for this season's VEX Robotics World Championship
• 2nd: $500 VEXrobotics.com gift certificate
• 3rd: $250 VEXrobotics.com gift certificate

Eligibility

• Entrant grade range: Middle school, high school, university.
• VEX competition team requirement: This contest is open to VEX Robotics Competition and VEX U teams registered for the current season.
• Designs submitted in previous Online Challenges are not eligible for submission this year.
• Only one entry per challenge is permitted by the same person (if an individual entry) or team (if a group/team entry). Each team in a multi-team school or club program may submit an entry. For example, teams 123A and 123B could each submit an entry, but team 123A could not submit two entries.

Requirements

These are the minimum requirements for this challenge. The “Judging Information" section below will provide additional guidance on how your project will be judged. Failure to fulfill any of these requirements may result in your entry being disqualified from advancing to Finalist or Winner status. If you do not know how to post a video to YouTube, please read this instruction page.

• Build a VEX robot that can provide companionship, assist with simple tasks and integrates into a home environment of the future.
• The robot must be portable, so there is a limit of a maximum size at rest in its “starting position” of no more than 72” (183mm) height + width + depth. Your robot may exceed this size in use. Your robot may be a couple of inches too big, but clear violations of the size limit will result in score reductions. Explanation: This means that a robot 36” tall that is 18”x18” on the base is legal, but one that is 48x18x18 is not.
• Create a video of the robot in action posted to YouTube, not more than 2 minutes long. Extra judging credit will be given to robots that are shown in use in a classroom setting. After your 120 seconds of video demonstrating the robot, you should have up to 15 seconds of credits.  The credits must be at the end, not the beginning of the video.
• Please note: you must use music in the public domain, or YouTube may delete your video.
• Upload a document (either DOC, DOCX, or PDF) of up to 1,000 words which describes the design and build process. It could include text, sketches, calculations and/or photographs of the robot and documents your team working on the process.
• The robot should be made primarily of VEX EDR components with the use of non-VEX components allowed for decorations or for parts not provided by VEX. The robot should include 50% or less of non-VEX parts.
• The robot should be safe in use, and not include chemicals or flames.
• Upload the Description document, all supporting imagery, and post the YouTube video link directly to this online challenge site during the submission process (20MB maximum file size).

Judging Information

Judges will select at least ten finalists from the submitted entries, and will take community voting results into account in making their choices. The finalist submissions will then be judged by additional selected professionals whose scores will be combined with the preliminary-round judges’ scores to determine the winner of the FUTURE Foundation Robot Construction Challenge.

Evaluation and Additional Information

• The judges will be looking for a robot that is useful in the home of the future.
• The robot or robotic machine is well made and functional, and safe in use.
• The robot completes its task in a creative, fun, interesting way.
• The video clearly shows the robot in action, and how it performs its task.
• The video is well made with good video, editing and use of sound and music (all music must be in the public domain).
• The accompanying description document is clear, thorough and describes how the robot works.

Current time:
Sat, Oct 5, 2024 5:25 AM CDT

Opens:

Wed, Sep 7, 2016 12:00 AM CDT

Closes:

Wed, Jan 11, 2017 11:00 PM CST

Voting Ends:

Fri, Jan 27, 2017 2:00 PM CST

All Entries
View Finalists
View Winners