Enhancing Student Engagement in Robotics through Competitive Challenges

Student engagement in robotics will improve innovation and technical skills among aspiring engineers. This paper discusses strategies to improve student involvement in robotics through participation in the VEX Robotics Competition, with a spotlight on the KFUPM Robotics Team (KRT). The paper explores the design, control mechanisms, and development of two VEX V5 competitive robots, highlighting the teamwork and problem-solving skills gained throughout the process. The main features of robot development, including hardware challenges, autonomous programming, and competition strategies, are argued. By analyzing the team’s experience, this paper illustrates major challenges, such as weight distribution, coding complexities, and optimization of autonomous functions, while presenting successful solutions. Additionally, exploring the competition experience explains how hands-on robotics competitions enhance critical thinking, collaboration, and resilience. The results prove the importance of strategic planning, and an active learning environment in encouraging students to actively participate in robotics.