Hundreds of robotics students will take the field later this month at Kettering University as part of the VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) State Championship and FIRST Robotics District Events.

“The students that participate in robotics are an excellent fit for Kettering University,” said Kim Shumaker, Robotics Outreach Manager for Kettering University. “The skills they learn in robotics, problem-solving, innovation, communication, teamwork, design, programming, mechanical and electrical prepare them for success at Kettering. These students are also well-prepared to enter the Co-op workforce with our employer partners.”

The events kick off at 9 a.m., Sunday, Feb. 27, in the Connie and Jim John Recreation Center with the VEX State Championship. The University has hosted various VEX competitions on campus for the past seven years, but this will be the first time it has hosted a state championship.

Seventy-eight teams are expected to participate. In the competition, named Tipping Point, teams will use their robots to move rings to their respective goals as well as move neutral goals to their respective areas within a specific time period. Each round consists of a 15-second autonomous period followed by a 1-minute, 45-second driver-controlled period. The team scoring the most points at the end of the round wins.

For many K-12 schools, VEX is an affordable way to introduce students to robotics. The robots are small and can be built using simple tools. Competitions also require small spaces for teams to complete their builds. In this instance, the competition field is 12 feet by 12 feet. 

VEX competitions are organized through a partnership with the non-profit Robotics Education and Competition (REC) Foundation, an educational foundation aimed at increasing student interest and involvement in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM). Dan Mantz, a Kettering 1991 alumnus and Chief Executive Officer of the REC Foundation, will attend  Sunday’s event as will Grant Cox, VEX Robotics Global Competition Manager. 

After the VEX competitors clear out, the University begins setting up for the first of two FIRST Robotics District events, which will take place March 3-5 and March 10-12 in the Connie and Jim John Recreation Center. Opening ceremonies will begin at 10:30 a.m. Friday, March 4.

In FIRST Robotics competitions, teams have six weeks to design, build and prepare their industrial-sized robots to compete in a field game against robots from other teams. District events across Michigan take place over six weeks, with three to five events per week. Kettering hosts two events.

Seventy-three teams are expected to participate over both weekends in the 2022 FIRST Robotics Competition (FRC) Game, RAPID REACT. 

RAPID REACT is part of the 2022 season, FIRST FORWARD, which is inspired by the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal No. 9 to build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization, and foster innovation. To that end, FIRST FORWARD calls for students to overcome transportation challenges with forward-thinking technological innovations. 

In RAPID REACT, robots start on their respective tarmacs with preloaded cargo, then deliver the loads to specific points and collect additional cargo. The robots can get assistance from players at the terminal and earn points for reaching various hanger rungs before the match ends.

Kettering University began sponsoring high school FIRST Robotics teams in 1998. It offered its first two scholarships to FIRST Robotics students in 1999 and has awarded more than $5.5 million since then. The FIRST Robotics Community Center opened in 2014. The University has hosted two district competitions each year since 2008.