Doherty High School Club Showcase: VEX Robotics

Doherty High School prides itself on its diversity within both its student population and its vast selection of clubs. For its nearly 2000 students, there are 34 clubs with a variety of topics. However, few clubs offer the level of camaraderie and collaboration quite like VEX Robotics, which is the perfect place for the technically and creatively inclined.
VEX Robotics is one of the premier engineering clubs in Doherty. Run by longtime engineering teacher Adam Truex, Robotics focuses on designing and building a robot to compete in matches against rival teams and schools. “Students can expect a fun environment where they can put their problem solving and engineering skills to the test,” says Truex.
Time commitment will always be a question posed when considering whether or not you wish to join a club. Truex outlined what many new members can expect: “Team members will need to dedicate time once a week during lunch and two days a week after school to build and program the bot.” The commitment is higher than other clubs, but the experience is unforgettable.
As with any club, there are bound to be competitions. Students compete in 2 – 5 contests plus a joint contest with SkillsUSA. The contests will take place in town at the Pikes Peak Robotics competitions and in the Denver/Fort Collins area. All members will participate in the competitions and will be graded on the performance of their robot and their engineering notebook.
As a part of the club, students will have to create a robot that will complete tasks in this year’s featured game known as Tipping Point. In the game, robots will start with a 15-second “autonomous” period in which a program runs and controls the robot. The final two minutes is a driver control period, where a designated team member uses a remote and controls the robot to score as many points as possible.
“Really good robots will be able to drive on the platform for bonus points,” says Truex. The dimensions of the robots start at 18”x18”x18” but can grow to a greater size once on the playing field. The game serves as the live test for your robot’s efficiency and functionality.
Alongside building a robot, students will have to create an engineering notebook. The notebook is used to document the building process including general sketches, expanded bot dimensions, elaborations on the team’s thought process, and future plans. It’s the second aspect of the competition because the notebook is graded by the judges and the team is eventually interviewed.
As of now, the club has started official meetings and Mr. Truex is still looking for new members to join. “With all the work it takes to put together a robot we need at least 15-20 members to have successful robots. We still are recruiting members to join.”
“I hope students learn to design, problem solve, and program.” says Mr. Truex. Truex’s considerable effort to help students learn new concepts they would otherwise miss gives the club an extra layer of enjoyment for the students involved.
“We want our robots to win but every student walks away learning new things about robots, engineering, and manufacturing that they wouldn’t have learned in any other class here at Doherty”