For the next of our student profile series, Caleb Hansen caught up with Stanley Jackson to find out about Vex Robotics.
CH - What is Vex robotics?
SJ - Vex Robotics is a competition in which we build a robot to complete a set task.
CH - How do you get involved in Vex robotics?
SJ - Turn up to an afternoon build session and join a team.
CH - When
and where do you meet?
SJ - E13, afterschool 3.20 – 5.30pm Tuesday and Thursday with competitions on
Saturday.
CH - Do you attend any tournaments and, if so, what do you compete in / for?
SJ - Currently I am in a mentor role so I don’t compete but instead I help with the year 9 and 10 teams. You compete in regional competitions to say you are better than another school but at nationals in Auckland you compete to go to the Vex worlds in America.
CH - What do you want to do in the future?
SJ - In the future I would like to go to the Vex worlds in America and compete for New Zealand. Vex has helped to prepare me for the world that is now moving into an age when robots will complete most tasks we do now for ourselves. I now know how to design, build and program a robot to complete a simple task.
CH - What skills have you gained from Vex robotics?
SJ - Programming skills, and simple construction skills and also design skills. Overall, Vex robotics is a sport where if you are into programming or construction, or if you just enjoy making robots, then it’s probably something you would enjoy. Go along to E13 Tuesday and Thursdays after school from 3.20 to 5.30pm. Look at what can be achieved in this sport and where you can go just for making robots. There are pretty amazing opportunities available to any year level.
