Nonprofit robotics · Calgary, Alberta
Engineered for Everyone
We are a student-run robotics club in Calgary. Everything we have worked out, the guides, the calculators, the notebook templates, is free here for any team to use, whether you are in our club or not.
Free, no signup
Need some help?
We write all of this for our own teams, and then leave it open for anyone. No account, no email, no form in the way.
The field guide
17 chapters on building, programming and competing, written from the pit rather than from a manual.
Gear ratio calculator
Work out speed against torque before you commit to a drivetrain, instead of after.
Engineering notebook template
The entry structure judges actually look for, with an export you can hand in.
Season planner
Lay a season out across the months you really have, so build does not eat all of it.
Classes and competition teams
Foundation classes teach the basics hands on. Competition teams are picked from those classes and represent the club against other schools.
VEX IQ Foundation Classes
VEX IQ Competition Teams
VEX V5RC Competition Teams
Each program page says what a student actually does, and what it costs, before anything asks for a name.
Teams from our club
How our teams have done at the World Championship
- 7th
16688AV5RC· 2025–26
- 18th
595CVEX IQ· 2024–25
- 31st
595YVEX IQ· 2025–26
Judged award · VEX Robotics World Championship
Team 16688A won the Inspire Award
The Inspire Award recognises a team's passion for the competition and the positivity they bring to the event. Winning it means VEX saw our impact, and our contribution to helping students excel in robotics.
Judged the same way at VEX and REC Foundation events
- 01Shows passion and a positive attitude throughout the event
- 02Acts with integrity and goodwill toward other teams, coaches and event staff
- 03Overcomes an obstacle, or reaches a goal or special accomplishment at the event
- 04Interviews well, with clear communication, real teamwork, professionalism, and students doing the talking
Like every judged award, it requires a completed team interview. Criteria summarised from the REC Foundation Guide to Judging.
Meet the teams
30+
awards over 9 teams
- 565AVEX IQ
Arctic Foxes
2023–24 · 2024–25
Elementary VEX IQ.
Think Award
VEX IQ Robotics Competition January Showdown
For the programming. Judges look for autonomous routines the team can explain, with the thinking behind them written down in the notebook.
- 595BVEX IQ
RTD
2023–24 · 2024–25 · 2025–26
Elementary VEX IQ.
Energy Award
VEX IQ Robotics Competition January Showdown
For a team that brought noticeable enthusiasm to the event, in the pit and around the field as much as on it.
- 595CVEX IQ
BattleAce
2023–24 · 2024–25 · 2025–26
Our most decorated VEX IQ team.
Teamwork Champion Award
VEX IQ Robotics Competition Ten Ton Last Chance (MS)
Won on the field, not by the judges. In VEX IQ every match is cooperative, so this goes to the two-team alliance with the highest combined score across qualifications.
- 36467EV5RC
All Purpose Flour
2024–25
Middle school V5.
Tournament Finalists
STEM Innovation Academy VEX V5 Robotics Competition (MS)
Reached the final match of the elimination bracket and lost it.
- 565DVEX IQ
Future Builders
2024–25
Elementary VEX IQ.
Qualified for the provincial championships
- 16688AV5RC
Blue See 123
2025–26
Inspire Award winners at the World Championship.
Invitation to the U.S. Open
U.S. Open Robotics Championship
Not an award but an invitation: a place at the U.S. Open Robotics Championship, which teams are invited to rather than qualifying for.
- 16688KV5RC
FoldX
2025–26
Our high school V5 team.
Tournament Champions
STEM Collegiate – V5RC Push Back
Won the elimination bracket at the end of the day, with an alliance the team helped pick.
- 595AVEX IQ
Unicorn Knight
2025–26
Elementary VEX IQ.
Qualified for the provincial championships
- 595YVEX IQ
Croissants
2025–26
Middle school VEX IQ.
Design Award
Alberta VIQRC Mix and Match Open - December Blended Qualifier
For the team with the clearest design process, shown through the engineering notebook and the interview. It rewards how a robot was arrived at, not how well it scores.
Teamwork Champion, 595C
Where we compete
Qualifying tournaments across Alberta, then the provincial championship, then the World Championship. Qualification rules shift a little each season and differ by program, so each step says what usually earns the next rather than promising it.
- 01
Qualifying tournaments
One-day events run across Alberta through the autumn and winter, most of them at a school. A team plays a set of qualification matches, is interviewed by judges, and can enter robot skills. Doing well here, or winning a judged award, is what earns a place at provincials.
- 02
Alberta Provincial Championship
The province's teams in one room, once a season, with separate championships for the elementary, middle school and high school levels. The strongest results and the top judged awards here are what send a team on.
- 03
VEX Robotics World Championship
Teams from around the world, split across divisions. Getting there is the end of the ladder for a season, and it is where our teams have finished 7th, 18th and 31st in their divisions.
Which one is my child in?
Two separate competitions, with different kit and different matches. The grades overlap in middle school, where a student could be in either.
VEX IQ
Grades 3 to 9- The kit
- Plastic parts that snap together with pins, no tools needed.
- A match
- Matches are cooperative. Two teams are paired and score together against the clock, so there is no opposing alliance to beat — the score is the score. Teams also run robot skills on their own, driven and autonomous.
V5RC
Grades 7 to 12- The kit
- Metal parts, cut and drilled to fit, driven by a programmable brain.
- A match
- Head to head. Two alliances of two teams play each other, starting with a short autonomous period where the robot runs its own code before drivers take over.
Spectators are welcome, and it is normally free
Nearly every qualifying tournament in Alberta is open to anyone who wants to walk in and watch, at no charge. It is the cheapest way to find out whether your child would enjoy this, and nobody will ask you to sign up for anything. Admission is set by whoever hosts the event, so check the listing before travelling.
A competition weekend
Mostly this, at a school or a convention centre in Calgary: the pit, the queue for the field, and a few hundred students from other clubs doing exactly the same thing.
Competitions in Alberta
VEX sets the calendar each season and it changes from year to year. The full list, including events we have not listed here, is on events.vex.com.
WestMech V5 Override Early Season Skills Challenge
V5RC- Date
- 26 September 2026
- Where
- Live Remote Skills
WestMech V5 Override Early Season First Qualifier: MS/HS
V5RC- Date
- 24 October 2026
- Where
- Western Mechatronics Robotics Club, Calgary
WestMech VEX IQ Level Up Early Season Qualifier: ES/MS blended
VIQRC- Date
- 25 October 2026
- Where
- Western Mechatronics Robotics Club, Calgary
WestMech V5 Override Early Season Second Qualifier: MS/HS Blended Event
V5RC- Date
- 21 November 2026
- Where
- Western Mechatronics Robotics Club, Calgary
WestMech VEX IQ Level Up November Qualifier: ES/MS blended
VIQRC- Date
- 22 November 2026
- Where
- Western Mechatronics Robotics Club, Calgary
WestMech V5 Override Christmas Open: MS/HS Blend Event
V5RC- Date
- 19 December 2026
- Where
- Western Mechatronics Robotics Club, Calgary
Mecha Mayhem 2027 Signature Event: VEX V5 Robotics Competition High School Override Division
V5RC- Date
- 12 to 14 February 2027
- Where
- BMO Centre, Calgary
Mecha Mayhem 2027 Signature Event: VEX V5 Robotics Competition Middle School Override Division
V5RC- Date
- 12 to 14 February 2027
- Where
- BMO Centre, Calgary
Mecha Mayhem 2027 Signature Event: VEX IQ Robotics Competition Level Up Blended Division
VIQRC- Date
- 12 to 14 February 2027
- Where
- BMO Centre, Calgary
Pulled from events.vex.com and refreshed daily.
Worth travelling for
Signature Events
Invitational-scale events run by VEX around the world. These are the ones coming up.
Speedway: Override VEX V5 Blended Signature Event: VEX V5 Robotics Competition, Presented by the Chrysalis Global Foundation
V5RC- Date
- 18 to 20 September 2026
- Where
- Indianapolis, United States
Show Me Gateway VEX IQ Competition™ Blended Signature Event: VEX IQ Robotics Competition: Level Up™
VIQRC- Date
- 17 to 18 November 2026
- Where
- Saint Charles, United States
Show 34 more Signature EventsShow fewer
The Highlander Summit Signature 2026: VEX V5 Robotics Competition High School Override
V5RC- Date
- 25 to 27 September 2026
- Where
- Newark, United States
Great Planes Signature Event: High School VEX V5 Robotics Competition
V5RC- Date
- 1 to 3 October 2026
- Where
- Ashland, United States
Smoky Mountain Forge: Middle School Signature Event
V5RC- Date
- 7 to 8 October 2026
- Where
- Sevierville, United States
Smoky Mountain Forge: Blended Signature Event
V5RC- Date
- 9 to 10 October 2026
- Where
- Sevierville, United States
Harbor Havoc Signature Event: VEX V5 Robotics Competition - Override
V5RC- Date
- 16 to 17 October 2026
- Where
- Portland, United States
One World VEX Robotics HS Signature Event @ UC Berkeley: VEX V5 Robotics Competition Override High School
V5RC- Date
- 21 to 22 November 2026
- Where
- Berkeley, United States
One World VEX Robotics MS Signature Event @ UC Berkeley: VEX V5 Robotics Competition Override Middle School
V5RC- Date
- 22 to 23 November 2026
- Where
- Berkeley, United States
WAVE at WPI Signature Event: VEX V5 Robotics Competition - Override
V5RC- Date
- 3 to 5 December 2026
- Where
- Worcester, United States
Bixby's FrostByte Frenzy Signature Event (Elementary): VEX IQ Robotics Competition - Elementary
VIQRC- Date
- 4 to 5 December 2026
- Where
- Tulsa, United States
Bixby's FrostByte Frenzy Signature Event (Middle School): VEX IQ Robotics Competition - Middle School
VIQRC- Date
- 4 to 5 December 2026
- Where
- Tulsa, United States
Slugger Signature Event (High School): Downtown Louisville Kentucky
V5RC- Date
- 6 to 7 December 2026
- Where
- Louisville, United States
Slugger Signature Event (Middle School): Downtown Louisville Kentucky
V5RC- Date
- 6 to 7 December 2026
- Where
- Louisville, United States
Bots On Bama's Boardwalk: Elementary School VEX IQ Signature Event
VIQRC- Date
- 14 to 16 December 2026
- Where
- Gulf Shores, United States
Bots On Bama's Boardwalk: Middle School VEX IQ Signature Event
VIQRC- Date
- 16 to 18 December 2026
- Where
- Gulf Shores, United States
LAUNCH VEX V5 Signature Event at Akron University: VEX V5 Robotics Competition High School Signature Event
V5RC- Date
- 18 to 19 December 2026
- Where
- Akron, United States
Sunshine Showdown VEX V5 Robotics Competition™ Signature Event: High School
V5RC- Date
- 27 to 29 December 2026
- Where
- Orlando, United States
Fun in the Sun VEX IQ Competition™ Signature Event: Elementary VEX IQ ES Robotics Competition: Level Up™
VIQRC- Date
- 1 to 2 January 2027
- Where
- Orlando, United States
Sugar Rush VEX V5 Robotics Competition Signature Event: High School
V5RC- Date
- 3 to 4 January 2027
- Where
- Hershey, United States
Fun in the Sun VEX IQ Competition™ Signature Event: Middle VEX IQ Robotics Competition: Level Up™
VIQRC- Date
- 3 to 4 January 2027
- Where
- Orlando, United States
Auburn Cord Duesenberg Robotics Festival Signature Event: VEX V5 Robotics Competition High School Teams
V5RC- Date
- 15 to 16 January 2027
- Where
- Auburn, United States
The North Dakota VEX V5 Robotics Competition Signature Event: VEX V5 Robotics Competition, High School Presented by the University of North Dakota
V5RC- Date
- 15 to 16 January 2027
- Where
- Grand Forks, United States
Kalahari Classic Middle School Signature Event: VEX IQ Robotics Competition Level Up
VIQRC- Date
- 18 to 19 January 2027
- Where
- Sandusky, United States
Kalahari Classic Elementary School Signature Event: VEX IQ Robotics Competition Level Up
VIQRC- Date
- 18 to 19 January 2027
- Where
- Sandusky, United States
Kalahari Classic Middle School Signature Event: VEX V5 Robotics Competition Override
V5RC- Date
- 20 to 21 January 2027
- Where
- Sandusky, United States
Kalahari Classic High School Signature Event: VEX V5 Robotics Competition Override
V5RC- Date
- 22 to 23 January 2027
- Where
- Sandusky, United States
Ignite the Northwest is back to Back VEX IQ Signature Event: VEX Robotics Competition
VIQRC- Date
- 22 to 24 January 2027
- Where
- Monroe, United States
Rumble In the Rockies VEX V5RC Signature Event: Middle School
V5RC- Date
- 27 to 28 January 2027
- Where
- Salt Lake City, United States
Rumble in the Rockies VEX V5RC Signature Event: High School
V5RC- Date
- 28 to 30 January 2027
- Where
- Salt Lake City, United States
Ignite the Northwest is back to Back VEX V5 Signature Event: VEX Robotics Competition
V5RC- Date
- 29 to 31 January 2027
- Where
- Monroe, United States
Robot Rodeo DFW Signature Event: VEX V5 Robotics Competition, High School
V5RC- Date
- 6 to 7 February 2027
- Where
- Mesquite, United States
Bots @ Bristol VEX V5 HS Robotics Competition™ Signature Event: VEX V5 Robotics Competition, High School
V5RC- Date
- 10 to 11 February 2027
- Where
- Bristol, United States
Bots @ Bristol VEX V5 MS Robotics Competition™ Signature Event: VEX V5 Robotics Competition, Middle School
V5RC- Date
- 11 to 12 February 2027
- Where
- Bristol, United States
9th NorCal Silicon Valley VEX V5 Signature Event (High School): Season: Override (2026-27), Digital Engineering Notebook, VEX V5 Robotics Competition
V5RC- Date
- 12 to 14 February 2027
- Where
- Milpitas, United States
9th NorCal Silicon Valley VEX V5 Signature Event (Middle School): Season: Override (2026-27), Digital Engineering Notebook, VEX V5 Robotics Competition
V5RC- Date
- 14 to 15 February 2027
- Where
- Milpitas, United States
What competing looks like
Most of a competition happens away from the field: fixing what broke in the last match, talking through a strategy with an alliance partner, and explaining a design choice to a judge.
That last one decides the judged awards: a team, its notebook, and two judges asking how the robot got that way.
A competition day, in order
Inspection first, because a robot that fails it does not play. Then a long wait at the barrier, and about a minute of the thing you came for.
Inspection, before a robot is allowed to play
And the rest of the season
A competition is two days. The other few hundred hours are a field on the floor, a robot half apart, and the same mechanism tried again.
Ask us anything
Questions about robotics are welcome even if your child never joins. We are students ourselves, so during build season and competition weekends replies can take a while.