I’m trying to start a Vex Team at my school. The principle told me I needed to have a budget for my plan. I was planning on the Vex EDR. No one knows electronics and we would only have one team. So, I was wondering what is normal for starting a high school team and what do I need?
For one robot, you should definitely have all of the electronics. You will most certainly need the most updated cortex(there’s a new one coming out this year, so wait to buy) and the controller. Most robots use 12 motors, but you should probably have a few extra just in case. A lot of metal is needed. We usually our pieces separately, rather than purchasing a kit because we found a lot of the kit materials, are things we don’t use for competition.
You might have a look here:
https://vexforum.com/t/need-advice-for-starting-a-team/33739/1
A lot, of course, will depend on at what level you want to operate. If you just want to get started, you could start bare-bones with a clawbot kit and go from there. If you want a better chance at competing, then your price tag will grow (although awesome things can happen with good teams and simple robots!). Keep in mind you will need money for entering competitions, about $50-$100 per tournament per team.
Also good advice:
Ask for $1500 per robot for year one is a good start and then add in how many tournaments you expect to go to. The costs go down in year 2 as you reuse a bunch of the more expensive robot parts. Throw in $600 for tools, tool boxes, etc. You probably can use much of the school’s equipment but you may want a dremel, some more hand tools, and the like just for robotics.
School teams may also need to budget for teacher costs and bus costs. Depends upon the school district I think. So ask what other elements need to be budgeted to have a complete picture. You may have facility use costs thrown at you too. Again, depends upon the district. Some see it as utilizing empty space effectively while others do not.
You might save yourself money and frustration if you can hook up with some local teams, get some advice, maybe even use their facilities when they are practicing, building, etc. Even some homeschool groups or scouting groups can be willing to help.
Have a look at this link and try filtering for your specific location.
https://www.robotevents.com/map
Also one thing to consider would be applying for a team grant through the REC foundation, check out this website:
http://www.roboticseducation.org/competition-teams/team-grants/
Or contact your local REC representative
We haven’t tried this, but it would be a great idea to contact them. A lot of companies sponsor VEX Robotics teams as well. If you contact one and tell them your plan and how you can help their brand…they might be interested as well.
I am not sure if your school / community would be willing to support this but many robotics programs are privately run. They are more like a school sport or a club and funded by parents (with registration fees) or with contributions from area businesses that want to encourage technology.
The school provides the facility without the expense and the robotics program is not burdened with the politics of the ever-tightening school budgets. School administrators love this model because it is adding technology while saving money.
Our group flourished the first year when 50 students signed up and we started with 10 teams. We also leaned on the support from other Vex programs in our area.
Your first year is the toughest and you will scrape by with the basics but if you take care of your equipment you can reuse the majority of it each year and grow your program.
Good luck!