It will be a day of innovation, ideas, creativity, top-level competition and fun as high school students from across Ontario gather at Cambrian College next month for another shot at claiming top prize at the VEX V5 Robotics Competition.
“This is such an exciting competition and you really do get to see how brilliant and resilient these young students are when it comes to robotics,” said James Allman, program co-ordinator and professor of Mechatronics and Mechanical Engineering Technology at Cambrian College.
“Competitions like this really do expose young students to how fun, adventurous, and invigorating science and STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) programs can be" he said. "Last year was such an amazing competition and this year is going to be even better.”
The competition has expanded and will now take place over two days, beginning January 10 and wrapping up at the end of the day on Saturday, January 11. Teams from communities such as Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Blind River and Richmond Hill are taking part.
“Last year provided an invaluable experience for our students, as it allowed them to test their planning and building skills in a competitive environment, solidifying their efforts from the start of the season and preparing them for what they will see at provincials,” said Amanda Farrell, VEX Robotics head coach at Korah Collegiate in Sault Ste. Marie.
“We don’t always have the opportunity to attend tournaments in southern Ontario, so having a local competition not only supports our robotics program but also fosters greater interest in STEM across Northern Ontario.”
Judges’ interviews take place Friday afternoon with a full day of competition starting Saturday morning.
“It’s so satisfying seeing young students interested in robotics,” said Allman. “The fact that there is also a $2,000 Cambrian scholarship up for grabs has also injected some serious enthusiasm into the event too.”
There is still time to register a team. For full details, visit www.robotevents.com.
