This week, a team from Beaumont GNS took part in their very first VEX Robotics competition in MTU, Cork. As a school that is completely new to VEX, the experience focused on learning, problem solving and working together through the robotics process.
Over a number of weeks, the girls designed, built and coded their first robot, which they named “The Beaumonster”, a fun play on our school name. The project began with brainstorming ideas and drawing designs, followed by building the robot structure, testing different mechanisms, and making changes when things did not work as planned.
A large part of the learning involved coding the robot and understanding how motors, sensors and timing work together. The team tested their code repeatedly, debugged errors, and learned that mistakes are an important and expected part of engineering. Each change helped them improve how the robot moved and completed tasks.
The VEX Mix & Match Challenge
At the competition, the robot took part in the VEX Mix & Match game. In this challenge, robots work on a small playing field to collect, move and place game objects into different scoring areas. Teams must think carefully about how their robot is built so it can reach objects, grip them securely, and place them accurately.
The game changes throughout the match, so teams must also adapt their strategies, work with partner teams, and make quick decisions. This helped the girls develop problem solving skills, teamwork and resilience under pressure.
What the Design Award Recognises
The VEX Design Award is given to teams who show a strong understanding of the engineering design process. This includes how teams plan their robot, explain their design choices, test and improve their ideas, and document their learning in an engineering journal.
The judges look for clear teamwork, thoughtful problem solving, and the ability to explain how and why a robot was built the way it was. It recognises learning, reflection and growth rather than just how the robot performs on the day.
A Valuable Learning Experience
Throughout the process, every member of the team played an important role. The girls worked collaboratively, shared ideas, supported one another, and confidently explained their robot and learning to others.
Taking part in the competition gave the team a real-world opportunity to apply their learning in STEM, coding and engineering. It was a fantastic introduction to robotics and an experience that will help shape future learning in Beaumont GNS.
