Students can show off their creativity and ingenuity by making robots in the VEX Robotics Competition Team.
The organization is challenged to design, operate and construct a robot out of specific parts with certain rules and regulations, such as not exceeding 2 feet in height. The robots must then complete tasks that are picked for competition each year.
The organization was founded four years ago. Club President Yassin Moghazy said the main goal is to express creativity as much as possible while overcoming the limitations.
“Everyone is restricted to the same parts, so it’s about who’s the most creative with what you have,” Moghazy said.
Moghazy has been building robots for four years and was captain of his high school’s robotics team.
“I find value in showing other people how to build and program,” he said.
The club welcomes students of all technological backgrounds, from beginner to advanced. Equal creative opportunity is given to students regardless of how much experience they have in the field.
“Robotics is more than just putting something together and making it work,” Moghazy said. “It’s more about your ability to critically think about a problem but also be creative enough to get around your problem.”
Kennesaw State University hosted the Kennesaw VEX Scrimmage on March 4 on the Marietta campus. KSU won first and second place.
“Next year we are hoping to host a tournament,” Moghazy said.
Teams can win different categories of robotics and a variety of awards, including Tournament Champions, Excellence Award, Design Award and many more. Awards given are not only based on simply building a robot, but also through the process of formulation. This is referred to as the “engineering notebook,” where ideas, observation and inventions are recorded.
The club holds meetings every Tuesday at 2:30 p.m. and Friday at 5 p.m. in room 118 of the Engineering Technology Center on the Marietta campus. Members have free time after meetings to work on their robots, and Moghazy said there are many late nights spent in the lab.
At this week’s meetings, members will discuss plans to attend the Worldwide VEX Robotics Competition, a tournament for qualifying teams to compete against one another for the title of “best in the world.” Held April 19 in Louisville, Kentucky, this would be the first worldwide competition for KSU if the team qualifies and attends.
The club currently has about 19 members. Students who want to join are encouraged to attend a meeting to learn more about the club and visit its OwlLife page for more information.
