You've learned how to move your VEX AIM Coding Robot for different distances and directions, and how to use driving and coding together create successful projects for your robot. Now it's time to put your coding skills to the test! In this unit challenge, you'll code your robot to complete a barrel race as quickly as possible. You'll work collaboratively with your group to drive and create a strategy, build and test your code, and iterate for precision and speed to complete the challenge!
Watch the video below to review the challenge. In this unit challenge, you will code your robot to complete a barrel race! You'll need to move the robot around all four sides of each barrel on the field, and return to the starting location as quickly as possible.
Now that you have watched the video, capture your thoughts in your journal. Answer these questions to guide your thinking and help you prepare for a whole-class discussion:
- What are your initial strategy ideas for completing this challenge? List at least two ideas in your journal.
- Why do you think your strategy will be effective? Support your ideas with reasoning based on what you have learned throughout the unit.
- What questions do you have about completing this challenge? List at least two questions in your journal.
- What have you learned throughout the course so far that will help you to complete this challenge?
Complete the Challenge
Now that you've discussed the challenge, it's time to try it!
Step 1: Set up the field as shown below.

Step 2: Model the movements of the robot needed to complete the challenge using Drive mode.
- Your task is to drive the robot around all four sides of each barrel on the field and return to the starting location as quickly as possible. Document your driving strategy, then plan how you will code that movement.
- Use this task card (Google / .docx / .pdf) to guide your path planning and strategy development.
- Pro Tip: Test out several strategies before choosing one to move forward. Think about ways you can combine strategies within your group, so that you can be creative in your approach to the challenge.
Step 3: Code the robot to complete the challenge.
- Your task is to use your shared strategy and path plan from Step 2 to code the robot to move around all four sides of each barrel on the field and return to the starting location as quickly as possible.
- Use this task card (Google / .docx / .pdf) to guide your coding process.
- Pro Tip: Try numbering each of the movements in your driving strategy, to help you keep track of the sequence of behaviors. Then code one or two numbers at a time, so you build and test your project incrementally.
Step 4: Explore! Move between driving and coding to iterate on your project and improve your strategy!
- Together with your group, brainstorm ways to make your project better.
- Drive the robot to test out your ideas, and choose one to start with.
- Iterate on your project to make it match the new driven behaviors.
- Continue to move between driving and coding frequently to iterate on your project and find the best strategy to complete the challenge!
Share Your Strategy
Once everyone has completed the challenge, you will share your strategy with the class. To prepare for this sharing session, answer the following questions in your journal:
- Describe your final strategy for completing the challenge. Why was it successful?
- How did your group collaborate to develop that strategy together?
- How did your project change from the start of the challenge to the end? What learning from the course or unit did you use to improve your project? Be specific in your answers.
- Do you think your strategy was the best way to complete the challenge? Why or why not?
Reflect and Share
At the start of this unit, you co-created learning targets with your teacher. Once you have completed the challenge, it is time to reflect on your progress toward those learning targets.
For each of your learning targets, complete the following sentences in your journal:
- At first, I thought ___________ because ___________.
- Now that we've completed the unit challenge, I understand ___________.
- My evidence for this new understanding is ___________, which shows ___________.
Check in with your teacher when you have completed the sentences for each learning target. This reflection will help you share your learning.
Select Return to Units > to go back to all Units.