Asian Robotics League Vex Game Announced

[Coach1733]

Originally Posted by Greg Needel

no offense Kathie, but if you think about the impact on the kids vs the cost. This type of event has the potential for more value. For 900 (700 of which is a one time fee) you can have an event every year using vex or whatever you choose. I mean the field is of the same quality and the game is probably just as good as what will come out next week. So you can either pay FIRST $275 every year + whatever the tournament fee is just to compete. Or teams could get together and invest in a field and run lower cost competitions when ever they want. The only difference is the lack of a championship, but if you think about the impact on the kids and the real meaning of the program that isn't that important.

Now in actuality it is the same thing as just hosting an FTC scrimmage event and using whatever that game is. My point isn't against FIRST or FTC, I just think it is good to have opportunities to hold high quality events, for people who may not be interested in the other perks FIRST has to offer.

I agree! It costs about $1500 for a FIRST gameboard w/obstacles, $275 for registration, $500 for VEX kit, $300 for FIRST Competition fees for a single event, $500 to $1,000 a day busing for a tournament (and where we are from, busing is a must), and probably other costs! So $3,500 or so for a team verses about half of that for the same experience would be good....especially when you have multiple teams! It just makes what little money we have go further.

[KathieK]

I'm sorry for having inadvertently hijacked this thread. I was just trying to do my job as an FTC AP.

Please keep it on topic (Asian Robotics League) and if interested in debating the value of participating in FIRST vs holding unofficial less expensive events, let's create a new thread on that topic. I'd LOVE to hear opinons on that.

[OZ_341]

Does anyone know where we could find a team list?
I have been searching online and trying to contact our friends in Singapore to see if any of them are members of the ARL. Our partner teams are Temasek Secondary, Millennia Institute, and CHIJ Secondary. As a team they are called Singapore SMART or sometimes SMART Lions.

If you know anything, please post.

Thanks!

[Jeff K.]

We think that this is a great idea. A competition, whether it be official or unofficial, still boggles kid's minds and allows them to solve a problem. Since there is no fee, that can allow more teams to play. At our school, we have 12 other vex teams, and this way, they will be able to play. Besides that, it also adds more competitions, since only one competition isn't fun enough. You can never get sick of build season!

We have 3 FTC teams now, and we were one of the original 52 teams, and find Vex to be a great program. It is an excellent learning tool as well as prototyping tool. I took a tour of USC and saw in one of the workshops they were using Vex. We also used it to develop and prototype drive systems, and well as work on programming and sensors. We just wish that FIRST will stay with the vex platform in the coming years, but this is a great step to spread the interest in engineering and science.