ROBOTICS CLUB

Location | Parkview Warsaw YMCA Multi-Purpose Rooms 1 and 2

Start Date | January 13th (This is a month-to-month program)

Day & Time | Mondays from 5:15 PM – 6:15 PM

Member Price | $24 ($18 in January)

Guest Price | $44 ($33 in January)

Why VEX Robotics

• VEX Robotics is an excellent platform for kids to learn robotics in a fun, engaging, and hands-on way. It provides students with the hardware, software, and educational resources to design, build, program, and compete with robots. It also teaches critical thinking, problem-solving, collaboration, creativity, and innovation skills which are essential for success in the 21st-century workforce.

Benefits of VEX Robotics

• Hands-on learning: VEX Robotics allows students to learn by doing. Students build and program robots that they can see and interact with, which makes learning more fun and engaging.
• Critical thinking and problem-solving skills: VEX Robotics challenges students to think critically and solve problems. Students learn how to break down complex problems into smaller, more manageable parts and then find solutions.
• Collaboration and teamwork: VEX Robotics competitions require students to work in teams. Students learn how to communicate, collaborate, and resolve conflicts in a team setting.
• Creativity and innovation: VEX Robotics encourages students to be creative and innovative. Students are challenged to develop new and unique robot designs and programming solutions.
• Career readiness: VEX Robotics prepares students for careers in STEM fields. The skills and knowledge students gain from learning robotics with VEX Robotics are transferable to many careers.

LEVEL 1 OUTLINE

• Introduction to VEX Robotics
  • Overview of VEX Robotics and the components included in the kit.
  • Introduction to the VEX Coding Studio software for programming.
  • Hands-on activity: Assemble the VEX robot base and learn basic driving and control.
• VEX Sensors
  • Explore different VEX sensors (e.g., distance, touch, bumper) and their applications.
  • Learn how to integrate sensors into the robot.
  • Hands-on activity: Build a robot that can navigate autonomously using sensors.
• Programming Fundamentals
  • Introduction to programming concepts, such as loops, conditionals, and variables.
  • Learn how to program robot movements and actions using VEX Coding Studio.
  • Hands-on activity: Create a program for the robot to complete a specific task.
• Remote Control and Teleoperated Mode
  • Understand teleoperated mode and how to control the robot wirelessly.
  • Learn about VEX Controller functions and programming for remote control.
  • Hands-on activity: Implement remote control functionality for the robot.
• VEX Competition Challenges
  • Introduce VEX competition formats and challenges.
  • Discuss strategies for completing VEX competition tasks.
  • Hands-on activity: Practice VEX competition challenges as a team.
• Mini Project
  • Divide the kids into groups and assign them a mini-project using VEX kits.
  • Each group will design, build, and program a unique robot to accomplish a specific goal.
  • Final presentations of the mini projects.

LEVEL 2 OUTLINE

• Review and Advanced Project Overview
  • Recap the concepts covered in the beginner level.
  • Introduce the advanced level’s project goal and requirements.
• Advanced Sensors and Integration
  • Explore more advanced VEX sensors and their functionalities.
  • Learn how to integrate multiple sensors for more sophisticated robot behavior.
  • Hands-on activity: Building a robot with complex sensor-based interactions.
• PID Control and Advanced Programming
  • Introduction to Proportional-Integral-Derivative (PID) control for precise robot movements.
  • Learn advanced programming techniques to optimize robot performance.
  • Hands-on activity: Implement PID control in a robot project.
• Mechanical Design and Prototyping
  • Focus on mechanical design principles for stability and efficiency.
  • Introduce the concept of rapid prototyping using VEX parts.
  • Hands-on activity: Create a robot prototype for iterative testing and improvement.
• Advanced Motion and Mechanisms
  • Explore advanced motion systems, such as four-bar linkages or scissor lifts.
  • Learn how to design and program complex mechanisms.
  • Hands-on activity: Build a robot with a specialized mechanism.
• Advanced Project
  • Divide the kids into groups and assign them an advanced project with specific challenges.
  • Each group will work on a complex robot with intricate functionalities and problem-solving tasks.
  • Final presentations of the advanced projects.