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Welcome to the 2023 VEX Robotics World Championship.
My name is Grant Cox,
I'm the Chairman of the VEX Robotics Game Design Committee, and I'm here
with Tyler McCrary, the VEX World Championship Master of Ceremonies.
Hey, everyone.
Grant and I are here in Dallas, and we can't wait for you to join us
in just a few short days.
But we wanted to make sure that you come prepared
and get the most out of your VEX Worlds experience.
This is our third year of doing
the remote drivers meeting, and we're hoping it will help
give you some time to absorb the information
and prepare for the event. First, we're going to cover some team
related information you need to be aware of.
We're going to talk about the event agenda, the team check in process,
and some of the fun activities we have planned for teams while there.
Teams should also install the VEX via app, so they can check match
results and rankings as they happening.
So because we have all these apps and all the information we need from
teams can be entered online,
that means we don't actually need to have an in-person team check in.
Check out all the ceremonies that are happening in the dome.
The opening ceremonies will have amazing lights and music
and lots of awards to be given out.
And the closing ceremonies where we'll be having overall
finals, give away the top awards and have the game unveiling.
But between those ceremonies, swing by the pit area to check out the decoration.
We'll have a pit decorating contest going on for fun prizes.
But remember, don't expand out of your pit area or take down the draping or poles.
The pit signs are yours to keep and they'll look great in your practice
area back home.
Due to tightened security measures, 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 out to the U.S.
teams the week of April 10th.
International teams will pick up badges and lanyards
at spectator check in located in Hall D.
Each team will also receive
one free parking pass to the Convention Center parking Lot E.
The pass will be mailed to teams along with their badges and lanyards.
Please make sure your preferred address
is correct on RobotEvents.com to ensure timely delivery.
Stop by the REC Foundation booth.
We've got a lot of fun activities going on this year and you can participate
in the VEX Worlds Passport Challenge and the VEX Worlds 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.
And the girl powered lounge will be open during designated times during the event.
A few activities going on at this lounge
include photo opportunities, daily giveaways and swag, features, speakers
and it's always just a fun place to hang out and make new friends.
Once you have your VEX Worlds passport card, head over to the exhibitor area.
I hear you can always get a bunch of swag over there.
Once you've visited all the exhibitors,
you can turn in your VEX Worlds
passport card at the REC Foundation booth for a cool prize.
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 prior experience.
This means you can get the best seat
in the house up close and personal with 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 volunteers at our record with any questions.
And lastly,
if someone gets lost or doesn't know where to go
and can't figure out what to do or even has questions
about the app or online team, check in.
Where do they go for help?
Pit Admin. Pit Admin. Pit admin.
Help is always found at pit admin.
Pit Admin is your one stop shop
to get any answers to any questions you have during the event.
This is also where teams will go to pick up their medals.
Exactly. So, Grant.
Can you tell me a little bit about how inspection is going to work this year?
We'll be doing the self inspection process again this year.
We encourage all teams to go to the REC library, download your inspection
sheet, complete it 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.
If you don't have access to a printer or forget to bring your inspection sheet,
we will have more inspection
sheets available for pick up right at the inspection station.
Inspection sheets must be completed and signed by both
a coach and a team member before getting in line.
Our inspectors will look over a few selected items before approving your robot
to go ahead and get on the practice fields and compete in matches.
Can teams do anything to make the inspection process faster?
Absolutely.
Teams should make sure that all of their robot components
are legal for competition.
As you all should know.
VEX IQ robots can only be built from official
unmodified VEX IQ robot parts.
Also, double check that your robot doesn't expand beyond 11 inches by 19 inches
horizontally while moving around the field and playing the game.
It can only expand when it's touching the expansion zone.
So after all that, what else should they know this year?
Rule 17 says that teams should come to the field ready to play.
Make sure your robots are in good working condition before coming to the field
and any accessories or carts or dollies or anything
have to stay in the queueing area and are not allowed by the field for sure.
Grant, how will the competition be structured this year?
Each division will have ten standard playoff matches, just like a normal event.
Then the champions from each division will make their way to the
VEX Dome to play in the overall World Championship finals.
These finals will be another set of one match per alliance to show us
what they've got in order to determine the playing order of these alliances.
They'll be ranked based on the score that they won
their division with.
If there are any ties, the first tiebreaker will be
the sum of the two teams.
Total qualification match scores.
That sounds good. What else you got?
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 the ones doing the work and even in the heat
of a competitive moment.
Everyone should remember to be respectful to each other.
Teams should also remember that teamwork matches involve two teams.
Both teams should get to play.
You should never ask an alliance partner to stay out of your way
or do only what you want them to do or sit in a corner.
So if a team member has a question
about a ruling the head referee makes, what should they do?
They should follow a rule T3.
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 will be final.
Can a coach, adult or a mentor approach the head referee and dispute a ruling?
No, the intent of T3, and of course G2, is that
only team members are the ones discussing rulings with refs.
This is a student centered program
and students must be the ones advocating for themselves.
If another team member or adult is needed for translation assistance
or to help calm down a stressful student or a student during a stressful situation,
they may be a silent observer, but the head referee
will be talking to the student, not the adult.
Grant,
how can teams make sure that the scores entered by the head referee are accurate?
Good question.
After the match has been scored, the scorekeeper referee
will show all teams the score on their scoring tablet.
Once teams agree and the score is confirmed, that score is final.
There should be no need to ever question whether a score was entered
correctly or not because it's already being checked and done at the field
with all team members actively participating in that 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 ready for this?
I would say so.
This is usually my favorite part of the in-person meeting.
So let's go.
Here we go.
Grant, What happens this year if a team only has one driver?
Had to start with that one, huh?
Per rule G6, if a team has one driver, they can drive for the first 35 seconds
and we'll have to put down the controller for the remainder of the match.
Rules G4 B and C describe some ways that a team
can add a driver to a team if only one is able to attend VEX Worlds.
Please if you do find yourself in this situation, just reach out
to your team engagement manager as soon as possible for help.
Our robot sometimes crosses the fence when we're playing the game.
Is it okay if it happens while we're not putting discs under the fence?
No. A robot can only extend over the fence line,
which is the black line on the field beneath the fence.
If it is contacting one of the expansion zones
the first time it happens without affecting the score,
it'll just be a minor violation, which is a warning.
The second time it happens, it will become a major violation
and a disqualification for the match.
What happens if my robot breaks during the match?
Can I fix it?
Rule G12, everyone's favorite rule.
Rule G12 lets you pick up a fix and reset your robot during a match.
If it's broken, stuck, or needs help.
If you decide to do this, you have to put your controller
on the ground before interacting with the robot.
Any discs that are being controlled by the robot will get removed from the field.
And once you fix the robot, it must go back to a legal starting
position and size before you can pick the controller back up.
Resetting a robot can take a while, so if there's any way for you to continue
playing without resetting it, it's usually the better choice
of you're only allowed to interact with the robot if it needs assistance.
So using resets
as a strategy is not allowed during team work or driver skills matches.
At our last event, the referee said that our robot was too big
while we got discs from the blue dispenser and gave us a DQ.
Is this a rule? Yes.
As we mentioned before, the first time you get a violation like this
without affecting your score, it'll just be a minor violation and a warning.
The second time it happens,
it will escalate to a major violation and a disqualification for the match.
Inspectors at Worlds will try to help teams
check their robots for this possibility.
But it is, as always, it is the team's responsibility to know
and follow the rules of the game.
We came up with a new way to empty the yellow dispenser,
but our coach says it's not allowed.
Is there a way that each type of dispenser has to be emptied?
The only rule in the game manual about how discs are removed from dispensers
is Rule G11, which says that you can't damage the dispensers
and that the purple dispensers have to be spun counterclockwise.
So if you're not damaging the dispenser and you're not violating
any other rules, your new way of emptying it should be fine.
So I look forward to seeing what you've come up with.
Absolutely.
This team asks, Do we have to start our driver switch
between 35 seconds and 25 seconds or finish it?
So the rules say that the controller has to be handed off
during the ten second period between 35 seconds and 25 seconds on the match clock.
That means that this is the only part of the match
during which both drivers are allowed to touch the controller simultaneously.
So to answer the question explicitly, it's kind of both.
It has to start and end during that window.
Because the matches are streamed.
Will the referees be allowed to look at official footage to help with rules calls?
No. Referees are never allowed to review photo
or video footage of matches when determining scores or rulings.
Even at VEX Worlds.
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?
Unfortunately, no.
If you robot leaves the skills line, you do give up your spot in line,
so plan accordingly.
What's the right way to fix a robot
under Rule G12 when it needs to be paired with a controller?
The rule says that we have to put the controller down.
Good question, actually.
If this happens, you can take the robot to the controller
and work with them together when it's fixed.
Put the controller
back down while you put the robot back into a legal starting position and size.
Then you can pick up the controller again
in this type of crazy circumstance, just communicate with your head referee.
Make sure everybody knows what's going on.
Will the fields and field elements be new?
Good question.
We'll be starting VEX IQ Middle School with brand new field elements.
So the dispensers, the desks, all that stuff
and we'll swap those out If anything breaks the fields.
And so the field tiles in the field perimeters, in the divisions,
the dome skills and practice areas will be a mix of old and new.
We will not be swapping out any field elements or desks
between middle school and elementary school.
Grant, if our team wins our division... Congratulations.
Do we have to walk back and forth all the way back to our pits?
No. So once Division champions are determined, your division
managers will escort you down to the dome, where we will have a set of finals pits
that are set up to emulate the pits that you had in the convention center.
So, like a table chairs, power drop.
All that fun stuff.
Alright, well, that's about all the questions we have.
Grant, what do you think? Yep. This was a great time.
I hope it was just as informative for all the teams as it was for you, Tyler.
I cannot wait to see you all there.
I look forward to it every year.
Thank you so much for watching.
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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