ROBOTICS CLUB
CHALLENGE AND EMPOWER
SESSION 1 (2024) | JANUARY – MAY
YMCA MEMBER REGISTRATION | NOVEMBER 27TH
GUEST REGISTRATION | DECEMBER 11TH
SESSION 2 (2024) | JUNE – AUGUST
YMCA MEMBER REGISTRATION | APRIL 22ND
GUEST REGISTRATION | MAY 6TH
Do you have a builder or future programmer in your household? Kids can be creative in the new YMCA Robotics Club and enjoy time constructing and programming robots with new friends using our VEX Robotics Kits.
Ages | 4th – 6th graders
Location | Parkview Warsaw YMCA Multi-Purpose Rooms 1 and 2
Start Date | October 2nd. (This is a month-to-month program)
Day & Time | Mondays from 6:15 PM – 7:15 PM
Member Price | $22
Guest Price | $42
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.
All children are unique and learn skills at different paces. Like our other month-to-month program, Robotics Club will allow students to progress at their own pace, starting with Level 1 and moving all the way up to Level 3.
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.
