Introducing VEX Robotics 介紹VEX機器人設計

What is VEX Robotics?
VEX Robotics is a robotics program for elementary through university students, and a subset of Innovation First International. The VEX Robotics competitions and programs are managed by the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation (REC) In April 2018, VEX Robotics Competition was named the largest robotics competition in the world by Guinness World Records.

What's the VEX Robotics Competition Programs?
Host by the REC Foundation, VEX Robotics competition programs include VEX GO Challenge for Grades 3-4, VEX IQ Challenge for Grade 4-8, VEX Robotics Competition for Grade 6-12, VEX U for University, and VEX AI Competition for High School/University. Around 24,000 student-led teams across 60 countries, ranging from Elementary to University level, will showcase their game strategy, design, and teamwork skills. Each May, hosted in the U.S., the VEX Robotics World Championship brings together the top VEX IQ Challenge, VEX Robotics Competition, and VEX U teams from around the globe to celebrate their accomplishments and participate to be crowned champions. It draws tech giants sponsors and exhibitors worldwide, like Google, TESLA, TI, Bell, or even NASA and U.S. Air Force.

VEX機器人是甚麼?
​VEX機器人 (VEX Robotics)是總部位於美國德州的創首國際 (Innovation First International) 旗下的一個品牌。VEX教育機器人致力於幼兒園、小學 、中學、大學以至成人科技教育提供所需的機器人產品：VEX 123、VEX GO、VEX IQ、VEX V5、VEX PRO等。包括美國、英國、加拿大等多個國家都指定VEX爲STEAM教育及機器人相關科目的產品平台，是目前最為通用的機器人教學道具；同時也是唯一入選《機器人商業評論》2016「RBP50名單」的教育機器人品牌。
VEX 以機器人基礎教學爲基礎，激發機器人創意思維潛能，培養具備STEM素養人才，更進階可以參與台灣國內的競賽或是國際賽事，開拓國際視野，對未來不管是出國留學或在大學申請都很有幫助。

什麼是VEX機器人競賽?
美國機器人教育與競賽基金會 (Robotics Education & Competition Foundation, the REC Foundation) 舉辦的VEX機器人競賽 (VEX Robotics Competition Programs)是一項激勵全球千萬學生追尋STEM教育和終生道路的活動。雖然目前世界上現有許多機器人比賽，但是VEX仍是最普及且廣為接受的。VEX競賽項目參與年齡橫跨小學至大學，包括給3-4年級的VEX GO Challenge、給4-8年級的VEX IQ Challenge、給6-12年級的VEX Robotics Competition、給大學生的VEX U，以及給高中或大學生的VEX AI Competition。全球共有來自60個以上國家、超過24000個學生團隊參與。而每年五月會在美國舉辦的VEX 機器人全球冠軍競賽，則由來自各個國家的菁英隊伍，角逐VEX IQ Challenge、VEX Robotics Competition、VEX U的世界冠軍頭銜。這個一年一度的全球競賽，也吸引了全球科技巨擘贊助與參與，像是Google、特斯拉、德州儀器、NASA美國太空總署、亞洲機器人聯盟(Asian Robotics League)等等。
對每個賽季所推出的工程設計主題，學生需運用VEX平台，從設計、組件到編寫程式驅動控制，建構一部屬於自己的機器人，並與其他賽隊進行合作與競賽。其涵蓋的教育內容不僅考驗學生STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) 科學、科技、工程與數學領域的實力與應用能力，更造就其團隊合作、領導力、溝通能力、批判性思考與解決問題的能力，以及不管書面或是口頭展示的創意與簡報技巧，是一項提供予STEM能力培養者的完善實踐平台。

Why VEX Robotics?
​VEX Robotics is educational robotics for everyone. VEX solutions span all levels of both formal and informal education with accessible, scalable, and affordable solutions. Beyond science and engineering principles, VEX encourages creativity, teamwork, leadership, and problem solving among groups. It engages and inspires the STEM problem solvers of tomorrow! 

• ​Sequencing and decomposition practice from coding explorations is transferred to Language Arts when students are tasked with writing informational texts to explain a process. 
• Decision making strategies from VEX GO/ VEX IQ group work are applied to students working collaboratively on an Art project. 
• Spatial reasoning skills are used to help students visualize the difference between area and perimeter during Math class. 
• Persistence and patience gained from having to try multiple iterations of a VEXcode GO/ IQ project to accomplish a goal is later used when students encounter a difficult passage while reading a novel and have to re-read it to understand it. 
• Explaining ideas using evidence from STEM Lab discussions transfers to a Social Studies debate about historical events.

學習VEX 機器人設計的好處
透過VEX GO/ VEX IQ的硬體零件與軟體程式，讓學員了解機器人技術的結構跟模式。除了科學跟工程相關的原理、程式編寫邏輯，VEX機器人教材同時也能激勵孩子培養創意、團隊合作、領導力以及解決問題的能力等等。

具體來說，VEX GO/ VEX IQ 可以培養的能力相當多元，不只專注在數理相關，對語文、藝術甚至閱讀都有助益，以下舉幾個例子說明

• 【語文】語文溝通技巧與藝術：在探索程式設計時，將程式定序與拆解的運算思維，學生們需要用文字資訊來解釋這些邏輯過程。
• 【美術等多科目】在進行團隊合作時的決策技巧
• 【數學】空間推理能力:視覺估計面積範圍或是周長之間的差異
• 【閱讀】毅力與耐心: 多次反覆運算VEXcode以達成某個階段的目標；閱讀時遇到較艱深的段落，也需要這樣的毅力與耐心
• 【史證辯論】由實驗室中獲得的證據、討論並解釋想法，可運用於像是歷史事件討論等社會科學方面辯論。

Lighthouse Camps offers VEX Go, and VEX IQ courses. 
VEX Go is suited for junior learners, and teaches the fundamentals of STEM through fun, hands-on activities that help young students perceive coding and engineering in a fun and positive way. See more here.

VEX IQ, on the other hand, is suited for more advanced learners. The course provides novice users the chance to find success quickly, while still being able to constantly challenge more advanced students. See more here.

Lighthouse Camps 提供 VEX Go 和 VEX IQ 課程。
VEX Go 適合初級學習者，透過有趣的實作活動来教 STEM 基礎知識，幫助年輕學生以有趣和積極的方式感知程式設計和工程。在這裡查看更多。

VEX IQ 比较適合进阶學習者。該課程為新手用戶提供了快速取得成功的機會，同時仍能不斷挑戰學生。在這裡查看更多。