Usually home to basketball and volleyball action, the UT Dallas gym will be commandeered by robots for the next two Saturdays.
- On Saturday, Dec. 4, it’s the regional VEX Robotics competition for elementary school, middle school and high school students, with more than 30 teams expected.
- On Saturday, Dec. 11, it’s the North Texas FIRST Lego League robotics qualifying round competition for students ages 10 to 14, with another 30 teams expected.
Both competitions challenge teams of students to design robots that accomplish certain specified tasks on playing fields in the gym. Students then come up with their approach to accomplishing the tasks.
Technology being what it is, the competitions’ excitement often arises from how the students cope with unexpected glitches or other unforeseen circumstances.
“These robotics competitions will have all the suspense and excitement of a sporting event,” said Dr. Kenneth Berry, assistant director of the University’s Science and Engineering Education Center. “Robotics is a sport of the mind, though, and participants in these events are developing creativity and innovation skills that they’ll be able to use throughout their lives and careers.”
Top-scoring teams in the VEX competition will qualify to compete in the VEX Robotics Championship of the Americas and the VEX Robotics World Championship. And the top teams coming out of the FIRST Lego League contest will qualify for the league’s North Texas regional tournament in January.
VEX qualification rounds run this Saturday from 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. and will include a live on-site broadcast by Radio Disney from 10 a.m. to noon.
The FIRST Lego League competition will be next Saturday from 9:45 a.m. to 4 p.m. Both take place in the UT Dallas Activity Center gym.
Details about the Dec. 4 VEX competition can be found on the VEX website.
Details about the Dec. 11 FIRST Lego League competition are available on the UT Dallas Comet Calendar.