VEX V5 - Competition 101: VEX V5 Override - Practicing for a Match

Before You Begin This Session

In this session, your team will learn about the structure of a VEX V5 Robotics Competition match while becoming familiar with the Competition Template. The template reflects the structure of a typical match, and students will explore how the two connect as they prepare for their first competition experience.

Students will need to use VEXcode V5 in this session. Be sure that students have a computer with access to VEXcode V5. Go here to learn more about accessing VEXcode V5.

Teams must use the Competition Template during a competition. The Competition Template is an example project in VEXcode V5. It has blocks already included to communicate with the Field Control System during competition, ensuring projects are in compliance with Field regulations to avoid complications and disqualification.

In this session, students will learn about how the parts of the Competition Template relate to the structure of a match. By the end of the session, they will test their project to practice for a match.

Have your kit and materials ready for the session before you begin. You will need the following:

A built Hero Bot.
Charged controller and batteries.
An assembled and set up VEX V5 Override Competition Field.
VEXcode V5.
An engineering notebook.

You may want to read the Using the Blocks Competition Template in VEXcode V5 article before beginning, for some helpful background information about the Competition Template students will be using.

You can also review strategies for implementing this STEM Lab with your team.

Use the Implementing a Competition 101 STEM Lab article to help you prepare and facilitate this session.
Read the Making Competition 101 STEM Labs Work For All Students article for ways to adapt, or differentiate, session content to meet varying student needs.
Review the considerations in the Cultivating a Positive Team Culture article to support your teams' growing collaboration skills.

It's time to prepare for your first VEX V5 Robotics Competition match! In this session, you will learn about the structure of a match so that you can be prepared for what will happen when you get to the Field at a competition. You'll use VEXcode V5 and the Competition Template to create your first project for a competition match, and learn how to start the project on your Controller.

Before you begin, make sure you have the following ready:

A built Hero Bot
Charged controller and batteries
An assembled and set up VEX V5 Robotics Competition Override Competition Field
VEXcode V5
An engineering notebook

What is the structure of a VEX V5 Robotics Competition match?

The Competition Template accounts for the three main components of a match:

Pre-Auton / Set Up Mode: Here the team can code actions such as calibrating a gyro, setting variables, or other device settings. These blocks will run immediately when the program is started, before the autonomous portion of the match begins.
Autonomous Mode: The first 15 seconds of a match is the autonomous period. Here, your robot performs coded behaviors, and driver control is disabled. You can earn an extra point based on your robot's ability to score in this part of the match.
User Control Mode: The remaining 1 minute 45 seconds is where you drive your robot in the match. Here your robot runs the code that allows the driver to control the robot during the competition.

The Competition Template is required to be used when competing in a VEX V5 Robotics Competition match. Watch the video below about using the Competition Template to prepare for a match.

In this video you will learn about:

Where to access and open the Competition Template in VEXcode V5.
What each of the stacks in the Competition Template are for.
How to configure your Controller in VEXcode V5 for your driving preferences.
How to run the Competition Template project on your Controller to simulate a match.

Activity: Build Your Competition Template

Now that you know what the Competition Template is, it's your turn to build and test your own. VEXcode V5 blocks interface showing the competition template project open. In the workspace are three stacks of blocks: a when started, a when autonomous, and a when driver control with an empty forever block attached to the last one. A blank note has space to write the project, author, created date, and configuration.

Use this task card (Google doc / .pdf / .docx) to guide you through building and testing your project.

Review the sections of the Competition Template with this article.
For help with configuring your Controller in VEXcode V5, read this article
If you need help testing your Competition Template, follow the steps in this article.
To learn more about the blocks in the VEXcode V5 Toolbox, use the VEXcode API Reference.

As you work, perform a Student-Centered Check. Ask yourselves in each area: are we the ones doing the work?

Robot: Are we designing, building, testing, coding, and improving our robot?
Teamwork: Are we making our strategy, gameplay, and competition decisions?
Notebook: If we keep one, are we the ones writing our decisions, iterations, learning, successes, and failures?

All Yes: the work is ours. Any No: it is not yet ours.

Now is a good time to look at the 'Engineering Design Process – Optimize' section of the Engineering Notebook Rubric and talk as a team about what sets the exemplary, proficient, developing, and beginning levels apart in the 'Code is documented' row. The Student-Friendly version covers the same thing in plainer language in the ‘Showing our code’ row if you need it.

Have fun getting ready for your first match!

Select Next Session > to move on to the next session.

Session 6 Your First V5 Match

Coach Notes Enabled

Before you Begin

Before You Begin This Session

What is the structure of a VEX V5 Robotics Competition match?

What is the structure of a VEX V5 Robotics Competition match?

Activity: Build Your Competition Template

Use this task card (Google doc / .pdf / .docx) to guide you through building and testing your project.

Use this task card (Google doc / .pdf / .docx) to guide you through building and testing your project.