Over the last few months, the Year 6-8 VEX Robotics Club has been exploring the weird and wonderful world of robot sumo! Giving up many breaks and lunchtimes, students meticulously engineered autonomous VEX IQ machines, navigating strict regulations on weight, size, and wheel and motor counts.  Using multiple sensors and even pneumatics, these robots were coded to hunt opponents and avoid the ring’s edge in high-octane one-minute matches.

On Thursday 26th March, the competition reached a thrilling climax during the finals. The Year 8 powerhouse, Robonix, entered the final undefeated, but they were met by the tactical brilliance of the Year 6 team: Neil, Maksim, Rain, and Alex. Their robot, Tickala, utilised a clever angled wedge design to overcome the odds. Despite their earlier league loss, the Year 6 boys successfully pushed Robonix out of the ring to claim the inaugural championship.

In the playoffs, another Year 6 robot, Bobby, secured third place against the Year 7 team. Huge congratulations to our new champions for their dedication and technical skill! However, beyond the trophies, all the students gained invaluable experience in complex design considerations and the resilience required for constant trial and error with both their robot hardware and their coding.