(music playing)
Welcome to the 2023 VEX Robotics World Championship.
My name is Grant Cox
and I'm the Chairman of the VEX Robotics Game Design Committee.
I'm here with Tyler McCrary, VEX World Championship Master of Ceremonies.
Hey, everyone.
Grant and I are here in Dallas and can't
wait for you to join us in just a few short days.
But we wanted to make sure that you can come prepared
and get the most out of your VEX Worlds experience.
This is our third year of doing the remote drivers meeting.
Having this meeting in advance should give you all some time
to absorb the information and prepare for your event.
First, we'll cover some team related information you'll need to be aware of.
We're going to talk about the event agenda, the team check in process,
Teams should also install the VEX Via app so they can check maps, results
and rankings as they're happening.
The opening ceremonies will have amazing lights and music
and the Parade of Nations,
and the closing ceremonies are where we'll play the overall finals
and give away the top awards and have the game unveiling.
Also, be sure to swing by the pit area to check out all the team's decorations.
We've got a pit decoration contest going on, so it's going to be really fun.
But remember, don't expand out of your pit area or take down the pipe and drape.
The pit signs are yours to keep after the event
and they'll look great in your practice area back home.
But don't take down the pipe and drape.
Due to tightened security measures this year, each team
member will be required to have a badge and lanyard at all times
to access the pits, divisions, skills and arena.
These items will be shipped to US teams only, the week of April 10th.
International teams will pick up badges
and lanyards at spectator check in located in Hall D.
Each team will receive one free parking pass
to the convention centers parking Lot E.
This pass will be mailed to teams along with their badges and lanyards.
Please check your preferred address on RobotEvents.com to ensure that these things get to you.
When you're not busy with matches, stop by the REC Foundation booth.
We've got a lot of fun challenges going on this year, including the
VEX Worlds Passport Challenge and the VEX World Selfie Challenge.
These are just a few of the ways you can qualify for daily giveaways.
Graduating Seniors, you'll have an opportunity
to join the REC Foundation Alumni program during the event.
Once you join, you'll receive a graduation keepsake from the REC Foundation.
Once you have your VEX Worlds Passport card, head over to the exhibitors area.
You can always get a bunch of swag from those exhibitors.
Once you've visited all of the exhibitors, you can turn in your VEX Worlds
Passport card at the REC Foundation booth to receive a cool prize.
The Girl Powered lounge will be open during designated times during the event.
A few activities going on at the lounge include photo opportunities,
daily giveaways and swag, and even featured speakers.
Plus, it's always fun to hang out and make new friends.
Up next, let's talk about volunteering at the VEX World Championship event.
Volunteers are the heart and soul of REC Foundation events.
While you're at the VEX Robotics World Championship, please
consider volunteering.
Many of the volunteer positions don't even require technical skills or expertise.
This will allow you to be up close
and personal with all the action going on in your division.
There are a ton of roles available, so check out the volunteer section
of the 2023 VEX Robotics World Championship website
or email volunteer@recf.org with any questions.
And lastly, what if someone gets lost or doesn't know where to go
or can't figure out what to do or even has questions about the app?
Where can they go for help?
Ask Tyler...
that's where you go for help.
Oh... No, help is always found at pit admin.
Pit admin is your one stop shop to get any answers.
This is also where teams will go to pick up their medals.
So how will inspection work this year?
We'll be doing the self-Inspection process again this year.
We encourage all teams to go to the RECF library, download your specific VEX Worlds
inspection sheet completed ahead of time and bring it with you to inspection.
These can be found by going to library.recf.org, selecting the volunteer
section and searching “VEX Worlds 2023 Inspection.” Links can also be found
in the April 4th game manual update that was released to all teams.
If you don't have access to a printer or forget to bring your inspection sheet,
we will have additional inspection sheets
available for pickup right at the inspection station.
These sheets must be completed
and signed by both a coach and team member before getting in line.
Our inspectors will check a few of the selected items before approving
your robot to get on the practice fields and compete in matches.
Can teams do anything to make the inspection process faster?
Absolutely.
VEX Worlds is going to be utilizing the V5 Smart Field Control system
that will not allow a team to play if they're using the wrong firmware.
So make sure that all brains, motors, controllers, etc.
are updated to VEX OS 1.1.1
or higher or you'll not be able to play in your matches.
We highly recommend 1.1.2.
Your robot brain also needs to be named with your team number and letter
with no spaces.
If you're not sure how to do this, the April 4th game Manual
update includes a link to the RECF library that explains more.
When you get to inspection, we'll give you a plastic
plug for your controller to prevent you from plugging
into the wrong port and causing damage.
Teams should also make sure that
all of their robot components are legal for the competition.
VRC Robots can't use functional 3D printed parts,
five inch flex wheels, nonstandard pneumatic tubing
or nonstandard Anti-Slip matting, just for a few examples.
Also, make sure to double check that any string on your robot.
not sure what you'd be using that for,
is between an eighth inch and a quarter inch.
We'll also be verifying during inspection that your robot doesn't
expand beyond the 18 inch limit while manipulating disks.
Although this won't technically fail inspection, it is a violation
if it happens during a match,
so the inspection team will be checking it during inspection, noting any expansion
risk teams and communicating these to division head referees.
Speaking of smart field control, will teams need to switch
to Bluetooth mode for skills again this year?
Yes, just like last year.
All robot skills challenge matches will be required to use
the Bluetooth radio mode on both your radio and your controller.
Not VEX net.
However, VEX net mode will be required for head to head match play.
To learn how to switch between the two modes, head over to the REC library.
Under VRC, select “competitions” then “tournaments”
to find the Smart Field control guide for teams.
This was also linked in the April 4th game manual update.
What else should they know for this year?
A whole lot.
First off, Rule T6 says that teams should come to the field ready to play.
If you use pneumatics, this means you must have
your system charged before placing the robot on the field.
It's okay if you do it in the cueing area or if you do it in next to the field
in the driver station.
But remember that it can't be over 100 PSI and you can't be charging it
once it's placed on the field.
Also, all robot transport systems,
carts, wagons, dollies, really buff friends,
must stay in the queuing area and are not allowed on the field.
Yeah, more Tyler than me.
If you look like me, you get to stay in the queueing area.
How will the competition be structured this year?
The competition will basically be the same as it was last year.
There will be ten high school divisions, six
middle school divisions, two VEX U and two JROTC.
Each division will play kind of its own
standalone tournament, crowning a division champion.
Then division champions will play in a standard elimination bracket
and within their respective programs for the overall finals.
There may be play in matches for lower seeded divisions,
and the higher seeded divisions will be getting a buy.
For VEX U and JROTC,
their division champions will go straight to their world finals.
Okay, that makes sense, but typically seeds are determined
by qualification rankings.
How are you going to rank the divisions in this bracket?
So it's actually pretty simple.
It's all detailed in the game Annual update, but to summarize,
divisions will be ranked based on who achieves the highest
average score over the course of all of their qualification matches.
Obviously, the object of the game from match to match is to get a higher score
than your opponent.
So it follows that each division should be trying to get a higher score
than the other divisions to try and see highest in the rankings.
We piloted this format last year and it seemed to be pretty well received.
That sounds good. What else you got?
Well, all teams should keep in mind two of the most important rules
in any robotics competition: G1 and G2.
Treat everyone with respect.
And remember, this is a student centered program.
Students should be always doing the work and even in the heat
of a competitive moment.
Everyone should remember to be respectful to each other.
So if a team member has a question
about a ruling the head referee makes, what should they do?
Per rule T3,
drive team members may appeal a ruling while still in the Alliance station.
But teams must remember that once the head referee
has made an official decision, it is final.
Can a coach, adult or mentor approach the head referee to dispute a ruling?
Nope. Only team members.
Remember, this is a student centered competition
and students must be the ones advocating for themselves.
How can teams make sure that the scores entered are accurate?
Good question.
After the match has been scored,
the scorekeeper referees will show all teams the score.
Once teams agree and the score is confirmed, the score is final.
There should never be a need to question whether a score was entered correctly
because it's done right there at the field,
with all team members actively participating in the process.
So I have a whole list of questions here that were pre submitted by teams
who are ready to push this game to its limit.
Are you Grant, ready for this?
Always. Okay.
What happens in a skills match
if a robot touches the high goal with an expansion during the endgame?
Because this is an SG5 violation that changes the score of the match,
it is by definition, a major violation and a disqualification.
The score for that match is recorded as a zero.
Any violation in a skills match that changes the score is a DQ,
and you don't get to rerun that match.
Some parts are on back order in my region and they won't be available by Worlds.
Can I 3D print copies of them for my robot? No.
3D printed parts are only allowed on VRC robots
if they're used as nonfunctional decorations, license plates
or license plate holders that don't add other functionality.
3D printed copies of other VEX parts
are not have never been and probably won't ever be allowed.
However, the decorations are cool.
Yes, absolutely.
How strictly will referees be
enforcing the rule that robots can't leave the field during the endgame?
If my expansion bounces off a blocker, will I be DQ’ed?
So this is a good question.
The April 4th game maual update did not include any changes
to S2 or any of the other rules that pertain to this.
All of the head refs at Worlds are head refs that you've seen
at signature events or state championships or regional championships and so forth.
So they'll be calling rules
consistently with how they were called at those large high profile events.
So in the context of this question, if your robot contacts
anything outside the field or goes through the net due
to an early expansion or during the end game, you will be DQ’ed,
even if you managed to bring it all back inside the field.
This is just a safety rule, straight up, so there's no way to undo the DQ.
The only exception is if a robot picks up an already
deployed expansion from another robot and moves it outside the field.
That's a separate action that isn't penalized by rule S2.
If my robot accidentally expands early, what am I allowed to do?
Am I automatically DQ’ed?
So if you can fix the early expansion before doing any other gameplay,
you'll probably just get a minor SG4 violation, which is basically a warning.
Once it's fixed and your robot is back in size, you can keep playing the game
if you can't get back in size.
You're not allowed to continue playing the game, including offense and defense.
You should move to a place on the field where you're not blocking gameplay
or any other robots
and you won't earn any points for the tiles that are covered by your robot.
Any early expansion is a violation of SG4.
What happens if there's a disc stuck under my robot?
Does that count as possessed?
In most cases, a disc that's stuck under a robot will move around the field with the robot.
Therefore it meets the thought experiment definition of possessed.
If you've got extra discs, Rule SG7 says that you have to stop
all actions other than trying to get rid of the extra discs.
This means that you can't play offense or defense until you're back down to three
or fewer discs.
You are welcome to shoot the extra disc to remove it.
Just don't shoot it towards any of the goals or the head referees.
If you can't get back down to three discs,
you'll have to sit out the rest of the match
and you won't earn any points for the tiles covered by your robot.
Will the fields and divisions in the dome have a GPS code strip?
Yes, all the fields in the divisions and the dome will be
the elevated portable field perimeters with built in GPS codes.
Will the field tiles and field elements be new?
We'll be starting the VRC high school tournament with brand new field elements.
And, of course, we will swap those out for a new ones if anything breaks.
Divisions and the dome fields will all also start with brand new field tiles.
Practice and skills fields will have a mix of old and new tiles.
We also won't be changing over all the tiles and elements between high school and middle school.
So what happens if I expand early in a skills match?
Am I DQ’ed?
If a robot expands early in a skills match,
it will trigger the ten second endgame period per RSC6.
For example, if a robot expands horizontally with 42 seconds left
on the match timer, the match will end when the clock hits 32 seconds.
Of course accidental early expansion is a bit different from the planned skills stop time
and in most cases that won't be recorded as an early stop time.
What kind of field and brain errors will qualify for replays at Worlds?
All of the World's divisions will be staffed
by field techs, and most of these tasks are vex engineers.
These field techs will investigate all disconnects, drops
or other issues to determine whether or not a field fault has occurred.
Decisions on replays will be made by head referees and division
managers and will rely on the field techs advice.
If our team wins our division and makes it to the VEX
Dome for the finals, do we have to walk back
and forth to our pit on the other side of the building?
No.
Division champions will be escorted by their division managers to the dome,
where we will actually have
a specific set of finals pits that are separated by each division.
This area will emulate the same pits that you had in the conventions
Hall So table chairs, power drop all that stuff.
Because the matches are streamed, will the referees
be allowed to look at the official footage to help with rules calls?
No. Referees are never allowed to review photo or video footage
from matches, even at Worlds.
Some referees count up from one for traps, and others count down.
Will all of the World's referees be doing it the same way?
Also, what counts as trapping at Worlds?
At Worlds, referees should be counting up from one for trapping.
You should back off for a full tile at or before they call five.
If you keep trapping or don't wait long enough before resuming a trap,
the referee will continue the count where it left off.
If a count goes to six or beyond, you'll earn a G15 violation and possibly a DQ.
As for what qualifies as a trap, it's the same as it has all season.
If you're restricting an opponent's movement to a small area,
you're probably trapping.
Remember, you're allowed to trap for up to 5 seconds,
but then you have to separate by a tile for another 5 seconds before
you can come back.
Now, don't forget, if a trap starts during the end game,
it can run the full 10 seconds with no penalty.
If a trapping count starts before the end game,
you still have to back off and end normally or you'll be penalized.
Just like a normal trap, you'll have to separate by a full tile
for 5 seconds before you can start trapping the same robot again.
Last year, the skills lines at Worlds were long.
Can we leave a teammate
or a coach to hold our place in line while we play a match? No.
If your robot leaves the skills line, you give up your spot in the line.
Does all of my plastic have to fit inside a 12 by 24 sheet,
or just the functional parts?
Am I required to bring a map that shows that it all fits?
It's a good plan to bring a map that shows how your functional pieces
can fit together in a 12 by 24 sheet, just to avoid any issues in inspection.
We're not requiring it per se, but
it's your best evidence if an inspector has a question.
If the inspector isn't satisfied with your plastic use,
or of course you're compliance with any inspection rule,
you won't be able to play in any matches until you've passed.
This is covered by R3D and E.
How long will teams
have between elimination rounds and finals matches to reset the robots?
Teams will have at least 5 minutes
between rounds and best of three matches to reset their robots.
If it takes you longer than 5 minutes to reset your robot,
you should probably be working on that right now.
If a robot gets entangled in a net, gets disabled,
but then is later bumped by another robot and freed from the net,
can the driver pick up the controller and start driving again?
No. Per the definition of disabled, once you're disabled for a safety violation,
you are not allowed to operate the robot for the remainder of the match.
At some local events, we weren't allowed to use custom 1 to 1 cartridges,
even though the Q&A has made them legal.
Can we use them in Worlds?
How about large washers and weights on our expansion mechanism?
Our official stance on custom motor cartridges or custom weights on
expansion mechanisms or anything like that is going to be
as long as it is made from otherwise legal components,
they will be legal.
Large washers are considered normal washers under the hardware rule,
and most of the 1 to 1 cartridge designs that are popping up
are very skillfully and creatively done
using legal components like spacers or legal plastic or whatnot.
So yes, as long as it's demonstrably made with otherwise legal parts,
they will be legal.
Now, of course, if a head referee or inspector thinks your mechanism isn't safe
or if it is made using illegal parts like 3D, printed parts or whatnot,
you may be asked to modify or remove it.
All right.
Well, that's about all the rules and questions we have time for.
This is fun, even though I had to keep saying no to things.
I hope it was just as informative for the teams as it was for you, Tyler,
just wait till you see this event.
Dude, I look forward to it every year.
Thank you so much for watching, and be sure to say hello to Grant
and me when you see us at the 2023 VEX World Championship.
See you there!
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