2013 VEX Robotics Competition Set for February 2

The 5th Annual Maine VEX Robotics Championship, a robotics competition for middle and high school students, will be held from 8 a.m.–4 p.m. Saturday, Feb. 2 at Cape Elizabeth Middle School, organized by the University of Maine Black Bear Robotics Club.

Upward of 30 student teams will begin arriving at 8 a.m. to begin practicing. They include teams from Cape Elizabeth High School, Erskine Academy in China, Frank H. Harrison Middle School in Yarmouth, Greely High School in Cumberland, John Bapst High School in Bangor, the Maine School of Science and Mathematics in Limestone, North Yarmouth Academy, United Technologies Center in Bangor and Yarmouth High School.

Opening ceremonies, featuring an address by Dana Humphrey, dean of the UMaine College of Engineering, will begin at 9:30 a.m.

The goal of the competition is to experience real-world engineering, and apply the math and science skills students learn in school. This year’s event is sponsored by the UMaine College of Engineering and Fairchild Semiconductor.

The Maine VEX Robotics Championship is registered with the international Robotics Education and Competition Foundation, which promotes robotics and technology in education. This year, there are 35 active robotics teams active in Maine, up from 29 last year.

In addition to the Maine teams, this year’s competition is expected to include one team each from Vermont and New Hampshire, and two from Massachusetts.

The public is invited to watch the competition. A video of a previous competition is online. For more information, contact VEX Planning Committee chair David Hart, a UMaine student majoring in electrical engineering, 207.838.3733.