A team of Mars Area Elementary School students was named to overall winner at the regional VEX Unified Robotics Competition, held Jan. 31 at Hopewell High School.
The “Cosmic Coders” team, made up of fourth-graders Gage Crankshaw, Max Devich, Jessica Li, Eleanor McCauley, Gavin Myers and Angelo Navari, earned the Champion’s Award, which is presented to the team with the highest performance in the competition, based on match results and overall robot execution.
The team also received the Judges’ Inclusivity Award, given to the team that shows an exceptional commitment to inclusivity by creating a welcoming and supportive team environment for all members.
“It’s awesome to watch as they all learn from each other and value each other’s differences,” says Colleen Hinrichsen, STEAM teacher, who coaches the team, along with Karen Banze, gifted support teacher; Ashley Campbell, learning support teacher; and Lauren Klein, social worker. “It is about all hard work, collaboration, and the growth of students with varying exceptionalities.”
For their first robotics competition in December, the team constructed a fully functional robot, which could collect a yellow ball on a playing surface, line up a shot, and catapult the ball into one of four scoring areas. For the Jan 31 event, the students dismantled and exchanged a part to the robot’s catapult component to improve upon their original design.
In addition to following the engineering design process and documenting their progress, students modified their code to improve the autonomous (self-driving) skills, says Hinrichsen. The students took the time to focus on where on the field the best scoring positions were for the driving portion and “all their work paid off.”
Sponsored by VEX Robotics and the Special Olympics, the VEX Unified Robotics Competition brings together students of diverse abilities in a competitive, yet collaborative environment, while developing their skills as communicators, engineers, problem-solvers, and more.
For more information, visit https://www.roboticstogether.com/get-involved.
‘Cosmic Coders’ Shine at Robotics Competition
A team of Mars Area Elementary School students competed in the regional VEX Unified Robotics Competition, held Dec. 13 at Woodland Hills High School.
The “Cosmic Coders” team, made up of fourth-graders Gage Crankshaw, Max Devich, Jessica Li, Eleanor McCauley, Gavin Myers and Angelo Navari, earned the “Most Unified Team” award. The award celebrates the team that best exemplifies the core values of the Unified Robotics program — fostering respect, empathy, and collaboration among students of diverse abilities.
“The recognition highlights the Cosmic Coders’ exceptional ability to work together seamlessly, leveraging the strengths of every team member while overcoming challenges,” says Colleen Hinrichsen, team coach. “Each student’s contribution was vital to the team’s performance, and their camaraderie was evident throughout the competition.”
For the competition, the students were tasked with constructing a fully functional robot, which they named “Gears.” As part of the VEX Robotics’ VEX IQ Competition Rapid Relay, teams were required to use their robot to collect a yellow ball on a playing surface, line up a shot, and catapult the ball into one of four scoring areas.
In addition, the students showcased their coding and engineering skills by programming their robot to operate autonomously. The students ran their preloaded program and then had an opportunity to modify their code for various different trials.
During the event, the team also submitted a virtual program for the game, says Hinrichsen. The team’s program was able to score 52 points in only a minute.
Another key component of the competition was an Engineering Notebook, a comprehensive document showcasing their planning, problem-solving and progress, says Hinrichsen. The notebook also highlighted how different team members contributed to various tasks, encouraging reflection and ensuring equal participation.
“The Cosmic Coders’ success is a testament to their determination, creativity, and teamwork,” says Hinrichsen. Karen Banze, gifted support teacher; Ashley Campbell, learning support teacher; and Lauren Klein, social worker, served as assistant coaches.
Sponsored by VEX Robotics and the Special Olympics, the VEX Unified Robotics Competition brings together students of diverse abilities in a competitive, yet collaborative environment, while developing their skills as communicators, engineers, problem-solvers, and more.
The Cosmic Coders have been invited to compete again at the end of January. For more information, call (724) 625-3161.