The VEX Robotics World Championship – the climax of the season for the largest and fastest growing educational and competitive robotics program in the world – presented by the Robotics Education and Competition (REC) Foundation and the Northrop Grumman Foundation, is taking place this week! On April 23-26, 2014, over 15,000 participants from over 26 countries will meet and engage in a fierce, science and technology-fueled battle at the Anaheim Convention Center.
Each year, VEX reaches more than half a million students across the world in the classroom and through after-school competitions, turning robotics into a captivating hands-on sport that challenges both students’ brainpower and teamwork skills. Competitors at this level make up the world’s sharpest, most ambitious, technology-focused elementary school, middle school, high school, and university students. These young prodigies have committed their time and energy throughout the season designing, building, programming, and developing their own unique competition strategies at more than 750 local, regional and national tournaments. Of the more than 10,000 VEX Robotics teams that exist in the world, the top 760 teams have earned the right to travel to Anaheim, California where they will form strategic alliances with other teams and challenge competitors at the 2013-2014 season games: VEX Toss Up and VEX Add It Up.
Additionally, this will be the second year for the VEX Robotics World Championship VEX IQ Challenge – a new, exciting STEM program for elementary and middle school students. Using the VEX IQ platform, students with guidance from their mentors build robots designed to solve specific engineering challenges that are presented in the form of a game. In addition to building robots, the VEX IQ Challenge encourages students to actively learn about science, technology, engineering and mathematics with a STEM-themed research project that consists of a written or media presentation.
Legendary skateboarder, Tony Hawk, will be in attendance, visiting teams and checking out qualifying matches Friday afternoon, and will provide a few opening remarks before the grand unveiling of the new game for the 2014/2015 season. The VEX Robotics World Championship is open to the public, FREE, and fun for the whole family! In fact, spectators are welcome and encouraged to watch matches, attend ceremonies, and visit with teams in the pit area as they strategize and prepare their robots for competition.
“It’s always exciting and inspiring to watch the students in action at the VEX Robotics World Championship. We’re so proud of how the REC Foundation has been able to bolster these essential STEM programs and continue to grow the VEX Robotics Competition and the VEX IQ Challenge,” said Jason Morrella, president of the REC Foundation. “The students that immerse themselves in these programs are the innovators of the future; tomorrow’s great scientists, engineers, and educators.”
Partners and sponsors of the 2014 VEX Robotics World Championship include Northrop Grumman Foundation, EMC, NASA, Chevron, Microchip, Texas Instruments and HEXBUG.
Fans can follow the competition and sign up for real-time competition news and results via live webcasts, Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, Instagram and YouTube updates. Real time tournament results are also available through VEX via an iPhone and Android compatible app, which provides match schedules, rankings and scores. For more information visit RobotEvents.com/championship.
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