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TCEA Robotics Contest

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Robotics

2023-2024 TCEA Arena Robotics Contest

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

TCEA has released a new robotics contest problem set: Hi, Bye, Pizza Pie. Darren Wilson, a long-time TCEA member and retired educator, and I wrote the 2023-2024 game manual. As the name suggests, the problem set is designed around the theme of pizza! While the TCEA state contest has been discontinued, TCEA members, and anyone who would like to, can use this problem set in their classroom, campus, or district.

Why is this robotics contest about pizza?

The pizza restaurant business is a booming industry that specializes in creating tasty pizzas using a variety of ingredients. Many restaurants have convenient ways to order, provide fast delivery, and efficiently cook pizzas to ensure customer satisfaction. Did you know there are more than 75,000 pizza restaurants all over the United States? That’s a lot of places to enjoy pizza. And get this, about 13% of people in the U.S. have pizza on any given day. That goes to show how much Americans love pizza!

Contest Components

2023-2024 TCEA Robotics Contest Manual Title Page

The structure consists of qualifier matches, seeded teams, alliance selection, and a single elimination tournament that Darren created for the robotics contest two years ago. Take a look at the materials and detailed information for Hi, Bye, Pizza Pie!:

Scheduled Contests

If you would like TCEA to run the app for scoring, please contact me, Peggy, at preimers@tcea.org. There is a $50 fee and no two contests can be on the same day. Take a look at some of our already-scheduled contests:

  • December 2, 2023 – Area 8: Texas Youth Robotics Alliance Kickoff Contest
  • December 9, 2023 – Mason ISD – Open Invitational
  • January 10, 2024 – Area 15 Robotics Contest
  • February 24, 2024 – The Island of Guam Robotics Contest
  • April 6, 2024 – Area 11 Robotics Contest

Check out this action-packed video from last year’s Go, Go Cargo! Contest

Video captured by the author.

Join the Robotics Group in the TCEA Community 

Questions? If you are a member of TCEA, join the Robotics Contest group to ask about Hi, Bye, Pizza Pie! Plus, find out what other coaches and sponsors are sharing about robotics around the state. If you have a question about the contest, this is the place to go. All questions get answered here!

Join Me for a Q&A on Zoom!

If you would like to get your questions answered in person, I will be holding an informal Q&A Zoom Meeting on Wednesday, November 1, 2023 at 4:30 p.m. Central. Please email me for the link. Until then, go bot, go!

Featured image: Designed by TCEA

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RoboticsSTEM/STEAM

Here’s the Scoop on TCEA Robotics Contests

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

Educators in the TCEA Community and beyond want to know, “Will there be a robotics competition this year?” The answer is “yes” and “no.” Here’s the scoop. The “no” part: The TCEA State Robotics Contest has been discontinued. You can read more about this in the May press release located here.  The “yes” part: TCEA area directors, or anyone else who would like to hold a contest, may offer one if they choose! And TCEA is providing a 2022 problem set. 

The Problem Set 

Even though the state contest has been discontinued, I knew there would be some classrooms, campuses, or districts that would want to hold a robotics contest. With that in mind, I wrote a new problem set. I want to make sure our members have access to a problem set if they choose to have their own contest. But holding the actual contest will now be up to individuals.

The new 2022-2023 problem set, Go, Go Cargo!, is available September 15. That’s today! The problem set is based on a shipping container port and follows the same competition structure introduced in last year’s contest, BUILD: WIDGETS, designed by Darren Wilson. The format structure consists of qualifier matches, seeded teams, alliance selection, and a single elimination tournament that Darren created for the contest last year.

Contest Components

Go, Go Cargo! robotics problem set
Created by Tami Hull, Early ISD

Additional Ideas

Jamie Gustin shares in the TCEA Community another option for robotics contests: 

Most livestock shows have Ag Robotics competitions. Each one will have different rules and problem sets. The sticking point on these is that team members have to be members of 4H or FFA. You can talk to your campus ag teachers to find out what the requirements for membership are. Most fairs/livestock shows will also allow a certain number of non-member teams from schools in their county. I’ve found these Ag Robotics competitions to be challenging and enjoyable. Also, the Ag teachers know all of the school’s travel procedures very well and are great partners.

Jim Jewell shared a list of these:

The links shared above were assembled by Derrick Bruton at d-bruton@tamu.edu.

Questions? If you are a member of TCEA, join the Robotics Contest group to ask questions about Go, Go Cargo and find out what other coaches/sponsors (like Jamie Gustin) are sharing about robotics around the state. 

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TCEA Robotics Contest Image
RoboticsSTEM/STEAM

TCEA’s Robotics Contests: All You Need to Know

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

When asked to explain the TCEA Robotics contests, I have my elevator speech memorized and ready to answer. “TCEA has two contests: Arena and Inventions. Arena comes with multiple pages of rules. The Inventions contest has only ONE page of rules and a one-page rubric. Like apples and oranges, you cannot really compare the two. They both ROCK AND ROBOT! And I must say it is a win-win to have two contests for students to choose from according to their interests.” 

However, there is much more to the contests than rules.

Mike Neal, former TCEA Area 15 Director, gets it. He says, “The contests allow students the ability to develop debating or discussion skills which become invaluable in the future. Students get a chance to do just-in-time problem solving, get up and speak in front of people, and experience failure and success in a safe learning environment. Each skill will benefit our students in the future.”

This blog post is intended to give you an overview of the two TCEA Robotics Contests. For detailed information on the Arena and Inventions competitions, please visit the TCEA Robotics website.

TCEA Area Contests

Each year, TCEA holds 21 Area contests. Twenty area contests are conducted around the Lone Star State based on our Texas Educational Service Centers. The 21st area contest is located on the island of Guam. 

Grade levels are split into two divisions:

  • Intermediate: Grades 4-8
  • Advanced:  Grades 9-12

Note: Grades 6-8 may compete in the Advanced Division in special circumstances.

The Inventions Contest

Inventions Engineering Design Process showing logbook, brainstorm, plan, build and test, and present.
EDP designed for TCEA Inventions

Each inventions team follows the engineering design process to create a robot that solves a real-world problem of their choice. Teams keep a detailed logbook and prepare a six-minute presentation for the judges. Students then showcase their research, robot design and performance, marketing strategies, and presentation skills for the judges.

Building materials in this contest are not limited to LEGO bricks. Lumber, metal, plastic, PVC pipe, dirt, frying pans, and many other items are welcome. I have witnessed commodes, canopy tents, chicken coops, greenhouses, and inflatable swimming pools hauled into the State Inventions venue. One thing to note: students must be the ones to build their invention. Adults may not aid with the construction of the invention or with making any associated components for research, design, marketing, or presentation. This is a kids-only contest!

When you think Inventions, think: open-ended, originality, making, imagination, curiosity, creativity, and innovation. The possibilities are limitless.

Top Inventions Tip

Follow an engineering design process. And pay close attention to the rubric as it clearly indicates the five components of the Inventions competition. 

The Arena Contest

Each fall, we post a problem set in the form of a 16-page game manual on our website. The challenge is always completed on the TCEA Race for Time mat. Everyday items are used for game pieces and, in the past, game kits have included LEGO bricks, PVC couplers, Dixie cups, and dice, for example. Race for Time mats and game kits can be purchased exclusively from the TCEA store. 

The game manual includes eight sections:

  • Overview
  • Playing Field and Game Elements 
  • Robot and Software
  • Competition
  • Finals Tournament
  • State Contest
  • FAQ’s
  • Revision History

Teams will design and build a robot to tackle a themed set of tasks, with themes and tasks changing from year to year. In the challenge, there are three qualification matches with two periods each: one 30-second period and one 90-second period. In the 30-second period, the robot must complete tasks autonomously, and in the 90-second period, the robot must complete tasks when controlled by the team’s Robot Driver. Arena teams will partner up with different teams to score points in these three qualification matches. 

The contest will wrap up with the top eight teams choosing an alliance partner to compete in the Finals Tournament. A single-elimination bracket will determine first and second place.

Top Arena Tip

After reading the game manual from beginning to end multiple times, jump into the Community and find answers if you still have questions.

Participants in an Arena Contest, Photo by TCEA

Approximate Timeline

August: Arena challenge released

November/December: Sponsors register teams online

January: Area contests held

February: Wildcard teams announced

March: Sponsors register teams advancing to state

April: State contest held in the Austin area

The Numbers

What do you need to participate?

  • One sponsor (must be a TCEA member)
  • Two students per robotics kit
  • Two to four students per team
  • Four contests: Advanced Arena, Advanced Inventions, Intermediate Arena, Intermediate Inventions
  • One awesome team name (Leave it to kids to come up with fantastic team names. How could you not root for Get Off My Lawn; Blood, Sweat and Gears; Awesome Sauce; or Ninja Tuna? Yes, these are all actual team names!)

Sponsorship

To become a sponsor, you must be a TCEA member (a one-year membership is $49 or get a course for just $29 and it’s thrown in for free). The main responsibilities of a sponsor include:

  • Providing students with a learning space to build and program
  • Guiding students in knowledge of the rules and rubric 
  • Creating a support system 
  • Finding funding for equipment and registration fees
  • Transporting students to contests

Sponsors are generally educators who teach class, have an after-school program, or coach a robotics club; however, sponsors from a church, community organization, scouts, 4-H, or a home school are welcome to participate in the TCEA Robotics Contest.

Participants in an Inventions Contest, Photo by TCEA

Equipment/Fees for One Team

  1. Programming software (provided free by the platform)
  2. Device (Mac, PC, iPad, Android tablet, or Chromebook)
  3. Contest Registration Fee $50 ($70 for State)
  4. One robotics set 

Robotics platforms allowed: 

  • LEGO MINDSTORMS EV3
  • LEGO SPIKE Prime or Robot Inventor 
  • VEX IQ
  • LEGO NXT (only allowed in Inventions)

Arena Only: Additional Equipment

robotics
Students compete in an Arena Contest on the Race for Time mat. Photo by TCEA

Inventions Only: Additional Equipment

  • Logbook (can be kept electronically or physically – but must appear at the contest in a hard copy format)
  • Display poster board
  • Various items for the invention demonstration and 10’x10’ space

TCEA State Contest

The state contest is held each spring in central Texas.

Inventions: First and second place winners in each Area advance to the State Contest.

Arena: First place alliance teams in each Area advance to the State Contest.

Your TCEA Contacts

Equipment/Training:

Peggy Reimers, TCEA Director of Professional Development

preimers@tcea.org

512-450-5406

Contests:

Katie Treat, TCEA Executive Assistant

treat@tcea.org

512-450-5404

Additionally, if you’re an educator who is interested in learning more about robotics, TCEA offers three self-paced robotics courses for just $39 each. When you enroll, you also receive a free one-year membership to TCEA, which you will need to be a sponsor for your robotics team. Not only will you learn new skills relating to robotics by enrolling in a course, but you will save $10 on a TCEA membership!

We are very excited about this year’s contests, and we can’t wait to see you there.

Featured image created by the author.

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robotics
Announcements/Important DatesRoboticsSTEM/STEAM

2020-21 Whirligig Robotics Contest Wrap Up

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

Due to the pandemic, the gold standards of contest and convention platforms had to go through a big change. Whirli-bots: Motion Commotion became the first-ever TCEA Virtual Robotics Contest (VRC.)

robotics

Taking the Contest Virtual

In converting our contest, our initial conversation always kept in mind these questions:

  • Were schools involved with robotics offering remote learning, face-to-face, or a combination of remote and F2F?
  • Would teams have access to robotics equipment?
  • Could interruptions happen to send students home for extended periods of time?
  • Would teams be able to meet and work on their robot?
  • Would districts allow their students to travel?

So with these questions in mind, we left the contest as open-ended as possible with a set of minimum parameters. We believe that creative ideas come from fewer instructions rather than more. Creativity would not just involve robot design and performance, but video content.

This competition let students become creators, videographers, and promoters. Teams could work on their entry from school or a remote learning environment. Another twist to the contest was changing up the divisions. Teams entered by two categories:

  • Grade level (K-2, 3-5, 6-8, and 9-12) 
  • Geographical locations (North + Out of State, East, West, and South)

Awards

Because this was a different kind of contest, TCEA did not award traditional places (1st, 2nd, 3rd.) We established one award for the most votes received on the submission platform. The main goal for the VRC was to avoid limiting creativity, so we recognized accomplishments after watching the submissions. The judges came up with several awards:

  • Innovative Design
  • Texas-Sized Creativity
  • Out of the Box Design 
  • Engineering Excellence 
  • The Whole Enchilada
  • Impressive Build
  • Scientific Spin
  • Lone Star

The judges were certainly pleased with all the great video submissions.

North 9-12 : Tiny Stark Labs, Clyde ISD – Engineering Excellence Award

East 3-5 : Brice Team 1, Mount Pleasant ISD – Best Design Award

South 6-8 : TechArt Toros, Seguin ISD – Out of the Box Design Award

West 6-8 : The Carniboos, Midland ISD – The Whole Enchilada Award

See the full list of winners here.

Are You Ready for Your Robotics Contest to Go Virtual?

If you are planning your own virtual robotics competition, here is the list of components we used to plan the 2020-21 TCEA virtual event:

  • Divisions (grade, age, or geographical)
  • Registration (Google Form, database, email)
  • Submission platform (We used Woobox – free and fee-based options)
  • Timeframe (registration, entry and closing dates, voting)
  • Student release forms
  • Budget (fees and other expenses)
  • Contest challenge or prompt
  • Website (display the contest information)
  • Rules
  • Visual examples (engineering design process, videos, other resources)
  • Judges
  • Awards

Feel free to reach out to Katie (treat@tcea.org) or myself (preimers@tcea.org) for more information on planning your very own virtual competition.

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robotics contest
Robotics

Giving Robotics a Whirl with the 2020-21 TCEA Robotics Contest

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

2020 has been quite a year. Everything has been turned topsy-turvy,  flip-flopped, and upended. So just to keep things going, let’s add the TCEA robotics contest to this list. The way things have been shaping up there is no way TCEA could guarantee our inventions and arena contests could take place in a face-to-face situation. So what do we do in this case?

1 whole lemon and 1 half lemon
Image by OpenClipart-Vectors from Pixabay

When life gives your robots lemons, you use them to make lemonade!

We have opened up the boundaries when it comes to the TCEA Robotics Contest. The contest is going virtual, awards have been shaken up, and students are going to become innovative engineers— with a side of videography thrown into the mix. No rubrics or a ton of rules will be laid out,  so we are excited to see what the student teams will come up with. The sky is the limit!

I am pleased to announce the 2020-21 TCEA Virtual Robotics Contest.

Graphic created by TCEA Staff.

The Go-To Information

Why change the contest?

Since we don’t know what the coming months will bring, we wanted to have a very open-ended contest where imagination and creativity could take flight. We set a few rules and parameters, but did not want to box teams into a corner where a set of rules governs the outcome. 

What is the contest prompt?

A whirligig is an object that spins or whirls. Students will design and build a structure that twists and turns somehow like a whirligig. The motion will be programmed and powered by some type of robotics system. If you can code the robot, you can enter the contest.

Where do I find all the contest information?

The website includes:

  • The contest prompt
  • Contest dates (registration, video entry, and voting)
  • The Engineering Design Process
  • Highlights
  • Parameters and rules
  • Awards
  • More information
  • Policy for changes and cancellations

What are the contest and registration dates?

Contest Registration: January 25 – February 19, 2021
Contest Video Entry: February 15 – February 26, 2021
Public Voting: March 1 – March 5, 2021
Registration Fee: $20 per team

What do the students need to accomplish the challenge?

The two main components of the contest : 

  1. Design and build a whirli-bot
  2. Video your whirli-bot. Every team has a maximum of 90 seconds to show off their creation. Of course, it might not take 90 seconds to film the whirli-bot, so what else could a team include in their video?

What kind of robot can my student use?

Teams can use any brand of robotics kit or even a combination of two or more systems. LEGO, VEX, Dot and Dash, Cubelets, Ozobots, and other systems out in the world can be used in the contest.

Can other materials be incorporated into the whirli-bot?

Teams are not limited to the items in their robotics kits. They can use everyday items as well as student-made items.  Students can reuse, repurpose, and remix a variety of materials to include with their whirli-bot. 

What exactly does this look like?

This means dig into those classroom closets, go through your home craft drawers, or raid your garage or shed. 

  • Reuse – cardboard, packing material, plastic containers, etc
  • Repurpose – dominos, drinking straws, Keurig pods, pool noodles, etc.
  • Remix –  K’NEX building system, Tinkertoys, Lincoln Logs, Zoobs, Makey-Makey, etc. 

Students can also make parts and pieces for their whirli-bot, but please remember that these must be student-made items. Items should not be incorporated into the design that have been made by an adult. If you are lucky to have a fabulous relative painting a backdrop or a parent whipping out their jigsaw to cut custom-made blades, the backdrop or jigsawed items will be unacceptable.  

The TCEA Robot face.
Go, Bot, Go!

What about 3D printed pieces?

3D printed pieces are welcome as long as the student has created the digital design. 

Where can I get more information?

Check out this episode of TCEA Ed Tech Club podcast all about Whirli-bots Motion Commotion!

Image by shotbyhens from Pixabay

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SPIKE Prime
Robotics

Unboxing SPIKE Prime

by Peggy Reimers
written by Peggy Reimers

The fourth generation of LEGO Robotics was released in January 2020. My SPIKE Prime arrived shortly thereafter and, with the shelter in place, I finally have time to unbox the brand new TCEA set. Check out my first impression of the new robot on the block. 

The SPIKE Prime Programmable Brick

  • Programmable brick is named Smart Hub
  • 5×5 light matrix
  • 6 input/output ports
  • Integrated 6-axis gyro
  • Speaker
  • Bluetooth or USB connectivity
  • Rechargeable battery

The SPIKE Prime Software

  • Software is available for Windows, Mac OS, iOS and Android tablets, and Chrome OS
  • Visual coding language based on Scratch
  • Lessons (Invention Squad, Kickstart a Business, Life Hacks, and Competition Ready)
  • Getting started tutorials
  • Building instructions
  • Help
A table comparing SPIKE Prime to EV3
Created by author.

LEGO SPIKE Prime numbered cellophane bags.
Numbered Cellophane Packages. Screenshot by author

The Ultimate BEST CHANGE EVER!

Unboxing a set is so easy – just POUR the numbered bags into correct compartments in the top two trays. No more sorting piece by piece! Anybody who has sorted a brand new kit will JUMP FOR JOY at this change.

The Other Best Changes

  • The sensor and motor cables are flat and you can build around them.
  • Includes an extra packet of 108 replaceable parts (Wishing for an extra ball and housing among this bag of parts, but there is one in the Expansion Set)
  • New names for the sensors: touch = force and ultrasonic = distance
  • The SPIKE Prime Expansion Set has an extra color sensor and large motor. 
  • I have high hopes for the newly designed wheel. 
  • The battery has a flush fit with the Smart Hub.
  • The Smart Hub has lots of attachment points.
  • The programming software has the same interface so it does not matter whether you are on an iPad, Chromebook, or a PC/Mac computer.

Features I Miss from the EV3

  • The cardboard insert for the bottom of the storage bin. (I made my own.)
  • No plastic storage for expansion set
  • The bazookas are gray, not the EV3 shade of red.
  • The connector pegs are the tan (less friction), not the blue.
  • Charging the battery with a power cord. SPIKE only comes with a USB cable.
  • To be contest ready, purchasing the Expansion Set is a must.
  • No backwards software compatibility with the EV3.
Base plate, frames, integrator bricks, wire clips, and biscuits.

Well-Designed New Parts

  • Larger frames (7×11 and 11×15)
  • 2×4 bricks with a cross axle hole
  • 11×19 base plates
  • Wire clips (keep your cables in check)
  • 3×3 biscuits (the biscuit allows for easy change of build direction)

In conclusion, I love the new parts and the color scheme of SPIKE Prime. Right in line with the previous three generations of LEGO robotics, the system just keeps getting better and better. LEGO is aiming the rollout for sixth to eighth-grade students. But in my opinion, SPIKE Prime can easily be introduced at the fourth-grade level. SPIKE Prime will be accepted for the 2020-2021 TCEA Robotics Contest.

If you are unboxing your SPIKE Prime now, please drop a comment and let me know your discoveries. Go Bot Go!

Featured Image photo by LEGO Education.

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