In the questions below “actively working on” means doing something like change a motor, adding or removing parts, etc. It does not mean something minor like “just tightening a screw”. It does not mean drive the robot as outlined in the above question. For code it means making a multiline change, not just downloading new firmware.
“adult” means a mentor, parent or guardian, or someone from another team. A side case is at a mixed VEXU and VEXIQ event, someone from a VEXU team comes over and helps. I chose the word adult since that covers 99% of the cases I’m interested in.
“at a competition” I mean competitions that are preludes to state or regional championships, state or regional championships that are preludes to Worlds or the World Championship. I understand that “off-season” events can and often do have local rules.
Since the entry and State Championships are over, this is specifically directed at World Championship.
Here we go:
In VEX Metal are adults allowed to actively work on the robot at a competition?
In VEX Metal are adults allowed to actively work on the robot computer code at a competition?
In VEXU are adults allowed to actively work on the robot at a competition?
In VEXU are adults allowed to actively work on the robot computer code at a competition?
Karthik has answered these questions as Yes and directed the next two questions to RECF.
Would any of the activities listed above (actively working on the robot and/or actively working on the robot code) cause a team to not be eligible for judged awards in VEX Metal at a competition?
Would any of the activities listed above (actively working on the robot and/or actively working on the robot code) cause a team to not be eligible for judged awards in VEXU at a competition?
Judges at the World Championship will be observing teams and interviewing students to determine how the students on the teams meet the published criteria for each judged award. Since the VEX Robotics Competition, VEX IQ Challenge and VEX U programs are for the students, judges are instructed to not only interview students, but to also observe student performance on the field, in the pits, and throughout the venue. Judges are instructed to only consider student input in their deliberations. Adults helping students working on a robot in the pits will certainly not preclude a team from winning an award – adult supervision, mentorship, and guidance is an important part of all our programs. Judges do want to recognize students for what they’ve learned and their accomplishments, and want to reward students for doing the vast majority of the building and programming of their robots. How hands on adults are with the robots is a choice to be made by each team. Judges may take into account any observations of limited student involvement/participation in working on the robot in their deliberations for a judged award.
Three general observations:
-Teachers/Mentors/Parents giving guidance and “helping” students fix or program robots is a great thing.
-Adults doing the majority of the work on a robot, or working on a robot alone without students is not a great thing, as there is obviously limited student learning and ownership taking place at such moments.
How representatives from a team (students or adults) interact with others at the event may also be taken into account by judges. Just as unsportsmanlike or disrespectful behavior by a student or students on a team can impact how the judges consider them for awards, the same holds for any adults associated with a team.
The VEX U program is a program for college and university students. The vast majority of college and university students are by definition, adults. Disqualifying teams because “adults are doing the work” does not occur in VEX U (or VRC or VEX IQ). Judges in the VEX U division at the World Championship will be interviewing and observing the college students to determine the judged award recipients in the same way they observe and interview the students in the VEX IQ and VEX Robotics Competition.