A Message from VEX Robotics - R23a and SMC Pneumatics

VEX V5 General Discussion General Forum
1

VEX Nation -

Please see the following statements below from VEX Robotics and the VEX Robotics Game Design Committee.

An Update on Rule R23a

Rule R23a, preventing teams from being able to alter the color of legal VEX Robotics parts, was introduced to address concerns regarding the impact that modified and color-altered components may have on robot inspection, legality determinations, competitive fairness, and sensor-based or vision-based systems.

After considering community feedback and revisiting the objectives of the rule, we’ve decided to remove R23a for the 2026-2027 VEX V5 Robotics Competition season. Teams will continue to be permitted to alter the appearance of legal VEX parts through methods such as coloring, dyeing, anodizing, painting, and similar processes, provided that the resulting parts remain otherwise legal.

Teams who modify the appearance of parts should expect additional inspection scrutiny when necessary to verify compliance with applicable robot rules and ensure fair and consistent enforcement across events. As part of this effort, inspectors will be trained to pay particular attention to modified components and may ask teams to explain or demonstrate the processes used to alter a part’s appearance, when necessary, to determine legality.

While we do not believe R23a is the right solution at this time, ensuring consistent robot inspections, clear legality determinations, competitive fairness, and predictable interactions with sensors and computer vision systems remains important, and we will continue to explore ways to improve in these areas.

We appreciate the feedback shared by the VEX community and look forward to continuing to grow the VEX V5 Robotics Competition together.

An Update on SMC Pneumatics

Over the past several years, maintaining a clear and consistent standard for legacy SMC pneumatic components has become increasingly difficult.

Many VEX-legal SMC components originated from kits that have not been sold for years, and numerous corresponding part numbers are no longer manufactured or available. As SMC transitioned components to replacement part numbers and alternate suppliers, determining legality increasingly depended on supplier-specific cross-references and sourcing history that were difficult for teams, inspectors, and VEX to verify consistently. As a result, the legality of these components became dependent on supply chain decisions outside of VEX’s visibility or control. Availability also varied significantly by region, creating inequities in access to legal replacement components.

To improve inspection consistency, maintain competitive integrity, and ensure teams worldwide have access to the same approved components, VEX believes pneumatic systems should ultimately be standardized to the components included in the VEX V5 Pneumatics Kit.

However, we recognize that many teams have invested in and relied on these legacy components for years. Therefore, previously legal SMC pneumatic components will remain legal for the 2026-2027 season while VEX evaluates the long-term future of pneumatic component legality. A further update will be provided during the season regarding future legality of these components.

The VEX V5 Robotics Competition Game Manual will reflect these changes in the Thursday Game Manual update. Please forward any additional questions or concerns to [email protected].

Thank you for your continued support of the VEX V5 Robotics Competition.

3

We prayed for times like this :folded_hands:

4

From the bottom of all of our hearts, Thank you Vex! You finally listened to our prayers!

5

what a relief :sob: (20 characters)

6

I’m sure there is a lot to unpack here, but I’m too excited to do so.

I want to sincerely thank the GDC, y’all are awesome. I really respect the fact that you all listened to the communities feedback and acted upon it. However, what makes me appreciate this even more is y’all don’t always do this. You take in the communities suggestion and you really think about them and always act deliberately to make Vex the great competition that it is. You guys work sooo hard to give us a fun and fair competition.

You guys did a great job on Override and I want to say sorry, on behalf of the community, that we received it so poorly and just ranted about wanting a shooting game. You guys know what your doing and you do it so well, so thank you. Oh, and thanks for the king of the hill endgame it’s gonna be really fun.

7

All we really need to know now is where VEX 2027 Worlds is :folded_hands: (I’m hopeful it will be decent for the circumstances currently)

8

Vex forever! Thank you GDC, this has made a lot of people’s (including myself’s) day better!

9

Finally we have a reason not to play Recf game

10

I love you GDC, ignore every time I badmouthed you.

11

i love you bailey <3

12

Thank you so much GDC! Though if you are looking at potential Worlds location please move it to Louisville KY or Cincinnati Ohio

13

This is a great step towards transparency! Some more about the lawsuit would be awesome too.

14

I hope it’s somewhere northern.

15

Thank you for overturning the initial decision about R23a. As a coach for a school that has some painted parts, having to replace all of them would have been financially crippling, especially since we don’t live in the USA.

Separate to that, it would be great for future worlds events to maybe be hosted in other VEX participating countries, not just always in the USA. Imagine having VEX Worlds in Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand etc. It would truly help make VEX Worlds feel like an international competition.

16

Peak. Thanks so much Vex :clap:

17

Worlds is still at St louis confirmed I believe

18

I think the problem with this is the flights. Most of the teams that attend Worlds are US based teams and that would put a limit on which teams could go simply due to the fact of plane tickets. A plane ticket from the US to Japan or China is like 1000-2000 per ticket and that would severely hamper a lot of school or non-profit teams that don’t have the money to pay for flights.

19

Let’s keep this discussion on topic and not wander off into another worlds location debate.

9 Likes
20