Lynfield College Takes on the VEX Robotics World Championship

New Era Technology had the pleasure of helping sponsor, eight students from Lynfield College to embark on an unforgettable journey to the VEX Robotics World Championship in Dallas, Texas! This annual event brings together the brightest robotics minds from around the globe, and for these Lynfield students, it was a chance to showcase their skills, compete against the best, and experience the magic of the international VEX Worlds Competition. Check out what the team had to say about their experience!

Feeling the Thrill of Competition:

Undeniably, the heart of the trip was the VEX Robotics World Championship itself. As one student describes, “A highlight was VEX Worlds competition of course, as the atmosphere and experience was nice. It was fun meeting other people from other countries while also talking to some more of the New Zealand teams.” The camaraderie and friendly competition were a big part of the experience, and it even led to an exciting opportunity. “We ended up getting an invitation to go to compete in the ‘Asia pacific open’ which will be held in China in December this year. I am trying to convince my teammates to go because it would be such a cool experience and something so much different,”

Another Lynfield College student echoed the sentiment of constant learning: “Seeing other robots and hearing other teams talk about their robots reminded me that there is always room for improvement. Even after winning, we can still improve in different ways. Although we didn’t win the Worlds competition, we still did our best and still took so much away from the competition. It was a big learning curve for us, and we now have more knowledge and experience to do better next time.”

One student found inspiration in the ingenuity of other teams: “There was one vex university team that I had seen online that I wanted to see. The team’s name was Pyro, last season they had made a robot that they dubbed “Air blast” and used a massive air reservoir which they would release to de-score and sometimes demolish game scoring objects. This season they made a new air blast which had 3, 9 litre Tanks which spun and shot out large quantities of highly pressurised air, sending game elements 175 kph.”

Beyond the VEX Worlds Competition:

This trip wasn’t all about robots! The students also had the chance to experience the excitement of Six Flags amusement park. “Something I enjoyed in America was going to Six Flags (an amusement park). This amusement park was enormous, with lots of different rides. I went on a fear fall for the first time, and it was super scary but exhilarating at the same time. (I don’t know if I will go back on it if I have another chance.) There was another ride which, when ridden, you could experience around 6gs worth of force. This ride was probably my favourite due to its fast pace and lots of movement.”

A student, who is also a motorsports enthusiast, found joy in a different kind of competition: “One of my favourite things we did in America was Go Karting as I am a fan of motorsports ( F1 and a bit of NASCAR) and play a lot of racing games. It was my first time ever getting to race and it was incredibly fun, the track was kind of small so we were constantly fighting and chasing each other.”

Learning Adventures:

For another student, the trip was a chance to connect with his passion for space exploration: “The Houston Space Center was also one of my favourite parts of the trip. I have always been very interested in space exploration and its history so being able to see a part of that was extremely valued by me. I saw the Saturn V rocket which was used to transport astronauts to the moon. I have seen photos and videos of the Saturn V but to be able to see it up close made me extremely excited.”

Highlighting the diverse learning experiences offered by the museums they visited, another Lynfield College student said: “I thoroughly enjoyed my experience In America. Every part of our trip had something new and different, and I learnt a lot from them. We went to many different museums, covering the Air Force, The Navy, Animals, engineering, and even presidential history. A lot of these museums had something to offer that just couldn’t be found in New Zealand.”

Once-In-A-Lifetime Experience:

The entire competition was a highlight, according to one of the students: “One of the many, and probably the biggest highlight for me, was the actual VEX Worlds Competition itself. This annual event brought together thousands of robotics teams from around the globe, and with your help, we were very lucky to be one of those teams. Being able to attend such a massive global event was a once in a lifetime experience for me! Then to see our robot, which we worked so hard on, compete against other robots on the World stage, just topped it off. An opportunity that I will never forget.”

What an unforgettable dream come true. “This trip was a dream I’ve had for a long time, ever since I first got into robotics during June last year me and my friends have worked tirelessly to build, code and strategize for this robotics challenge, our hard work was paid off by the things we learnt and trials we had to face, the world of engineering and design fascinate me and hope I can design for many more years to come.”

Final Thank You:

“Thank you for the opportunity you have provided for me and eight other students. The opportunity to compete for New Zealand on the world stage was something I never imagined I would do, but you made that possible.“

Undoubtedly, the VEX Robotics World Championship was much more than just a competition, it was a chance for these students to experience different cultures, learn from other young minds passionate about robotics, and create memories that will last a lifetime. New Era Technology is proud to have played a part in making this dream a reality for the Lynfield College Robotics Team. We were thrilled to see them not only compete but also embrace the entire experience and return home with a renewed passion for robotics and a thirst for future challenges.

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