STARTING A NEW TEAM
So you're keen on getting involved with competing? Awesome!
Getting involved with Kiwibots is easy - run through the checklist below to see if you can start your own team to compete in the VEX Competitions or our very own KiwiChallenges.
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Team requirements:
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At least 2 students
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Access to VEX Robotics equipment
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Enthusiasm and willingness to learn!
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If you are able to fulfil all the requirements above, that's perfect! You have the essentials for starting a team.
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Great! What should I do next?
There are a few steps here to help you get started. If you have other questions - please feel free to get in touch at anytime with us at contact@kiwibots.co.nz.
We also recommend any groups interested in forming a team to get in touch with us so that we can help you out, introduce you to your Regional Coordinator and make it as easy as possible!
Register
To compete in the season at our events (both scrimmages and tournaments), you will need to register your team/s with the RECF (Robotics Education & Competition Foundation).
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Head to RobotEvents.com to create an account and register your team and pay the season fee.
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The first team costs $200AUD for the season, and each additional team is discounted at $130AUD.
Gear Up
You will want to make sure you have a kit for the season - we recommend the VEX IQ Super Kit for the IQ Challenge, and the V5 Competition Starter Kit for VRC.
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As part of your registration, you'll receive a Welcome Pack for your organisation that includes license plates for your robot, a scoring element for that season's game, and Engineering Design Notebook/s.
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It's also a good idea to save some funds for extra parts such as a spare battery and extra motors.
Get Vetted
We provide a safe environment for all tamariki that take part in our programmes and require coaches, mentors and key volunteers to be vetted.
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If you are a registering a team with a school or NGO (museums, OSCAR providers), exemptions apply for those already covered by NZ Police Vetting with that organisation.
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Check out our Child Protection Policy for details or contact us if you have any questions.
Participate
Head along to events to improve your skills and robot design.
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You need to RSVP for each event in two places:
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1) The Kiwibots events page, where every person attending needs to RSVP to get their name on the door list
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2) RobotEvents.com where you reserve a spot for your team. Spots are limited, and if your team is not on the list, they will not be included in the draw.
Which competition I should be doing?
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This one can be a little bit tricky, as the criteria can change year to year as the competition organisers update the rules to best accommodate Southern Hemisphere students and our different school calendar.
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VEX IQ Challenge
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A quick way to identify this competition - these are the plastic robots. Generally, we recommend that primary and intermediate aged teams compete in the VEX IQ Challenge. When you register with RECF, the students' ages will determine whether you are in the Elementary or Middle School bracket for IQ Challenge.
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As VEX IQ is also used in classrooms with Yr 9 and 10 students in New Zealand, some teams choose to compete as well. There is an age limit to participation in the VEX IQ Challenge.
Typically, as long as they are 14yrs old or under at the end of the season (1st May of the following year is a good guide), they are able to compete. It is best to check with the VEX IQ Game Manual at the start of the season to check eligibility.
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VEX Robotics Competition (VRC)
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A step up from the IQ Challenge, this competition uses metal robots. This competition is for high school and university level students, and there is no minimum age to participate in this.
VRC is suitable for advanced intermediate students - and we've even seen some very advanced senior primary students register before! Like with IQ Challenge, the students' ages will determine whether you are in the Middle or High School bracket.
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University teams looking to register for this are required to register for VEX U instead of VRC, as that competition differs slightly.
Still have questions?
No worries at all - we're here to help guide you through this and know it can be quite confusing to get started.
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When you're ready to take the next step - hit the button below and complete the short form to let us know a little more about your team! Someone from the Kiwibots team will get back to you as soon as possible.
VOLUNTEER
We are always on the lookout for volunteers to help us as events, mentor a team, or support in other ways where they can.
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If you would like to help out with our work, please fill out the form below and we will add you to our volunteer database. You will occasionally receive an email from us about any upcoming opportunities that you can get involved with.
Still unsure how you can get involved?
Simply contact us with any other questions or ideas you may have and we will try to find a way to help!