We are busy working on the 2016 Online Challenges (see the 2015 results and entries here) and want to ask for your help.
What would you like to see for a challenge next year? We listen – the 2015 CAD Design Challenge was based on a suggestion here on the forums.
Put on your thinking caps and tell us what we should do!
I would like to see a challenge that revolves around wiring. Maybe wiring tips and displaying nice wiring. Just throwing things out here 
I would love another parts CAD Challenge.
I would love something similar to JPearman’s Programming Challenge.
If the Building/Design challenge was more similar to 2013-2014’s I would have been more engaged, I didn’t like the mascot.
Those were my 2 Cents! Enjoy your day!
I really liked the Part Design challenge, hopefully that one will be here next year as well.
A programming or software development related challenge would be cool, like to create an app for use by VEX teams. Some people also had the idea of “redesign the online challenge site” as a challenge, but I don’t know if that would make sense to do.
I don’t have anything specific, but I would like to see more things that involve working with videos. Maybe instead of a photography challenge, post a video that showcases education through a medium of robotics. But that’s just an example, it could be anything.
I second this! There would probably have to be restrictions as to which languages could be used, even though the clear choice is Node.js
Here are some new ideas and old challenges I would like to keep:
-Design your entire robot in CAD.
-App designed for scouting.
-Make a short video to show a brand new team what VEX is about.
-T-Shirt design for your club or team.
-Create a brand new VEX product.
-Website Challenge.
-Photography challenge.
-Promote Challenge video.
How about best looking robot challenge? Most VEX robots are really bland compared to their fancy powder coated FRC counterparts.
Best robot reveal video? I still think 12a sack attack had the best VEX reveal so far.
I would love to see something involving an essay. I think that it could be a great way to learn about some of the teams and it would be a great opportunity for some teams that aren’t great with cameras or videos to enter.
(Just some potential subjects)
What makes your team different?
Why does your team deserve to go to Worlds?
What is your favorite memory involving VEX?
What obstacle/ obstacles has your team overcome?
How has VEX inspired you outside of robotics?
What if there was a vex music challenge :rolleyes:
Teams would have to make a music video out of vex components (including speaker) using programming and hardcore video editing skills.
For example something like Pentatonix but use vex stuff to make music 
They have had an essay in the past. This year it was replaced with the photography challenge.
I like this. “Dripsody” comes to mind. Create an entire 3-minute song just by replaying, splicing, and speeding up/slowing down the sound made by a single VEX motor 
and pull your hair out as you listen to it over and over again during the editing process.
can I just say that this is one of the biggest reasons why I love VEX I mean they are basically going to let us choose what challenges we have next year, I mean how cool is that
I’m thinking of a “Sportsmanship” challenge where teams create a video where they explain how to be gracious and professional, nice and helpful to other teams, and how to play fair and things in the vex competition.
Open source app made for scouting, so the community can contribute after the fact!
I would love to see a Challenge where teams have to create a Scouting App or some kind of sophisticated scouting system.
I hate to be a downer, but any challenge involving developing a program (either on a PC or mobile app) is too hard to judge. I cannot ask our judges to download and install 50+ apps or programs before they can start judging. Honestly, I wouldn’t download all those apps on ***my ***Android phone, and I’m in charge of Online Challenge judging.
Maybe we can think of a way to have a programming challenge that is just judged by the teams, and that has a different reward system? What would you think if we had a special contest without the big prize or the invitation to the World Championships, but offered smaller prizes to the public’s 10 favorites? With smaller prizes there will very little at stake except bragging rights, we might see a lot of cool stuff shared with the community, and (hopefully) there will be little or no voting manipulation. I’m open to suggestions, as long as you understand that I am not promising anything.
M̶a̶y̶b̶e̶ ̶I̶’̶m̶ ̶a̶ ̶t̶a̶d̶ ̶b̶i̶t̶ ̶b̶i̶a̶s̶e̶d̶,̶ ̶b̶u̶t̶ ̶I̶’̶d̶ ̶a̶l̶s̶o̶ ̶l̶o̶v̶e̶ ̶t̶o̶ ̶s̶e̶e̶ ̶a̶n̶y̶ ̶s̶o̶r̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶g̶r̶a̶m̶m̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶c̶h̶a̶l̶l̶e̶n̶g̶e̶.̶ ̶A̶n̶ ̶m̶o̶b̶i̶l̶e̶ ̶a̶p̶p̶,̶ ̶w̶e̶b̶s̶i̶t̶e̶,̶ ̶c̶o̶m̶p̶u̶t̶e̶r̶ ̶p̶r̶o̶g̶r̶a̶m̶,̶ ̶s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶f̶o̶r̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶o̶r̶t̶e̶x̶,̶ ̶o̶p̶e̶n̶ ̶e̶n̶d̶e̶d̶,̶ ̶a̶n̶y̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶.̶
Darn. I just saw Rick’s post. Honestly, as much as I love this community, vote manipulation will be a thing even just for bragging rights as there aren’t enough people to make the manipulation, even by hand, negligible. Perhaps an online tool that has a focused functionality that is separate from the actual website challenge?
I would prefer to keep the prizes as they were for 2015. I would not prefer the prizes to be smaller and more spread out. But this is just my opinion.
Consider adding some kind of judging feedback. At the moment, and perhaps not everyone sees it this way, a somewhat generalized view is finalist = you passed and !finalist = you failed. Teams have no clue why they either passed or failed so how can they improve on their mistakes next year? Do you have any stats for on-line challange churn as I suspect the lack of feedback can easily lead to no interest in entering a challenge again. Of course it’s fun to produce something potentially useful for other teams and the VEX program in general but it’s labeled a challenge and teams are competing against one another so the judging process should be a little less mysterious.
Give me a motor, a camera, my computer, and an hour of work. I am going to do this now.