Two Maui Teams Advance to World VEX Robotics Championship

2013 Hawaiʻi VEX Match, courtesy photo.

By Wendy Osher

Two Maui teams qualified to advance to the World VEX Robotics Championship, set to take place April 23-26, 2014, in Anaheim, CA, after competing in a regional event held over the weekend at Honolulu Community College.

The Aloha Robotics team out of Wailuku, and the Maui High team from Kahului, were among a total of 19 teams across the state that made the qualifying cut during the first Hawaiʻi State VEX Championship robotics competition.

The regional competition featured 40 participating teams that challenged each other in a “Toss Up” event in which teams were tasked with building the most innovative robot that could out-score opponents in an athletic court-type playing field.

Players earned points by placing different sized colored balls in designated zones during the timed elimination matches.

The Maui High team qualified based on top ranking in programming skills, and the Aloha Robotics team qualified through top ranking in robot skills.  Both teams advance to the World competition after a five-month season of events.

The list of Hawaiʻi qualifiers for the World VEX Robotics Championship also included five teams from Hawaiʻi Island, and 12 teams from Oʻahu.