Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
Inspiring students, one robot at a time.

FUTURE Foundation Product Design

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 and related machines to help people with disabilities. The FUTURE Challenge for 2010 is to design and build an assistive technology machine using VEX components that will help a person with a disability. Start by researching disabilities and assistive technology and then develop a robotic machine that can help someone dealing with a disability. Your machine may either provide assistance itself or it can be a working scale VEX prototype of a larger machine. An elegant engineering solution demonstrated using VEX is the goal of this challenge.

 

Prizes

  • 1st: 2010 VEX Robotics Product Design Award, One VEX Robotics Classroom Lab Kit, Autodesk® Inventor® Software Package, Automatic Team Qualification for the 2010 VRC World Championship
  • 2nd: One VEX Dual Control Starter Bundle, Autodesk® Inventor® Software Package
  • 3rd: One VEX Protobot Robot Kit, Autodesk® Inventor® Software Package

Requirements

Requirements

  • Written description, no more than 500 words long, including a description of the type of disability with which your machine is designed to help, and how it would be helpful
  • Four images showing the completed machine (Front, Back, Side, Top)
  • YouTube video (up to 60 seconds long) showing the robot functioning
  • 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
  • Designs and robots submitted to previous VEX Online Challenges are not eligible for submission this year.
JudgingSubmissions will be showcased on the RobotEvents.com Online Challenge website and will be scored by the viewing community. Submissions will be judged on a 50-point scale.The community voting will determine seven of the ten finalists to make the final round of judging. Three additional submissions will be chosen by the VEX Advisory Councils, Innovation First engineers, and representatives of the FUTURE Foundation. The finalist submissions will then be scored with a weighted system including the community voting scores, and scores given by the VEX Robotics Advisory Councils and the FUTURE Foundation. The combined scores of the judging panels will determine the 2009 FUTURE Challenge winners.Point Scale
  • 15 Points: Clear, well-researched presentation of problem to be addressed with this robot
  • 15 Points: Quality of construction – is the robot well-made and functional
  • 10 Points: How well this robot meets a need
  • 5 Points: Is the robot safe in use
  • 5 Points: Are the pictures and video clear and easy to understand

Deadline Information

Current time:
Mon, Feb 17, 2025 11:21 AM CST

Opens:

Mon, Jan 25, 2010 12:01 AM CST

Closes:

Sat, Mar 6, 2010 2:00 AM CST

Voting Ends:

Fri, Mar 19, 2010 9:00 PM CDT