DFHS Robotics History
Dutch Fork High School has partook in VEX Robotics since 2012. In 2019, the Robotics team was taken over by Robin Amick. Last year, the school had five teams competing in the tower takeover challenge, in which the goal was to stack cubes. Equinox, team 7432E was able to qualify for Worlds, the global VEX competition, but they were unable to attend due to the event being cancelled from the Coronavirus pandemic.
Coaches
Robin Amick
Mrs. Amick has had 7 years of experience with VEX, and has been a PLTW teacher for 16 years. She is also a sponsor for TSA
Andrew Bell
Mr. Bell has had 2 years of experience with VEX, and has been teaching for 16 years.
Sponsor:
Our Sponsor is Access Analytical, Inc, a DHEC certified laboratory in South Carolina that focuses on the analysis of drinking water, waste water, soil, and air samples.
What is VEX Robotics?
VEX Robotics is a robotics program managed by the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation. VEX supplies robotic parts and electrical systems to various teams of students ranging from elementary to college age. They provide the supplies to allow young students to learn how to design, build, and program robots. Their goal is to create interest in students for STEM related activities, including fields related to robotics. Each year, VEX organizes challenges and competitions to promote student development of robots. The challenge provides a goal for students to meet through the creation of a robot.
About the 2021 Robotics Competition: Change Up
Two Alliances – one “red” and one “blue” – composed of two Teams each, compete in each Match. The object of the game is to attain a higher score than the opposing Alliance by Scoring Balls and Connecting Rows. An Autonomous Win Point is awarded to any Alliance that completes a Connected Row using their Alliance Home Row at the end of the Autonomous Period. A point bonus is awarded to the Alliance that has the most points at the end of the Autonomous Period. To earn points, a team must build and program a functional robot that picks up balls and scores them into towers. These robots may also have the ability to descore balls of the opposing alliance’s color, in order to eliminate those points for the other team. More points are awarded when a row of three is made.
TSA Events
TSA stands for Technological Student Association and is an organization that organizes challenges and competitions for high school and middle school students. These events are meant to challenge and interest students in various fields related to technology and STEM.
Events:
Coding
Eric Mitchell and Charles Spehl participate in this event, in which they responds on site to a coding challenge and develop a solution in a limited amount of time
Computer-Aided Design, Architecture, Engineering
Paul Kupfer participates in these events to use CAD programs, in order to create items related to architecture and engineering
Engineering Design
Sullivan French, Jake Maner, and Paul Kupfer participate in this event to create a solution to an engineering problem
VEX Robotics Competition
the team with the best performing robot gets to participate in this TSA event, creating a healthy amount of competition among the VEX teams at our school
STEM Program
Dutch Fork High School is a certified magnet school with an exemplary STEM program rated 25th in the United States. The Dutch Fork STEM program requires an application process in which students with exemplary grades, activities, or skills are admitted. These students are able to take classes in english, history, mathematics, and science that are incorporated to be related to STEM fields (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics). STEM is not a requirement to be in VEX Robotics at DFHS, but because the program is more focused on engineering anyways, everybody in Robotics is also in STEM.
View STEM Courses Offered at DFHS
PLTW Involvment
VEX Robotics is a very engineering heavy extracurricular activity. As a result, it is recommended to the various students in VEX robotics to take PLTW courses.
Courses:
Introduction to Engineering Design
People in VEX who have participated in this class are Eric Mitchell, Paul Kupfer, Sullivan French, Conner Dampier, Eli Bryson, James Manor, Alex Daichendt, August Horton and Emma Meihofer.
Principles of Engineering
People in VEX who have participated in this class are Eric Mitchell, Paul Kupfer, Sullivan French, Conner Dampier, Eli Bryson, James Manor, Alex Daichendt, August Horton and Emma Meihofer.
Civil Engineering and Architecture
People in VEX who have participated in this class are Eric Mitchell, Paul Kupfer and Sullivan French.
There are 15 people in total in VEX at Dutch Fork, and 9 of them have taken at least one PLTW class. Most of the kids who have not taken a PLTW class have taken a computer programming class at Dutch Fork, which is one of the best in the state.
Contact Us
Location
1400 Old Tamah Rd, Irmo, SC 29063
Email
ramick@lexrich5.org
Phone Number
803-476-3442