Robotics Education & Competition Foundation
Inspiring students, one robot at a time.

Signature Event: VEX Night at the Museum

Date
25-Jan-2019 - 26-Jan-2019 Add to Calendar
Event Code
RE-VRC-18-6207
Program
VEX V5 Robotics Competition
Event Type
Tournament
Field Control System
VEXNet Field Control
Capacity
44
Spots Open
0
Event Region
Virginia
Max Registrations per Organization
2
Standard Registration Opens
4-Sep-2018 10:00 EDT
Registration Deadline
18-Jan-2019 12:47 EST
Price
$200.00
This event is closed to registration because:
  • This event currently has no spaces available.
  • It is past the registration deadline.

General Info

***We have officially changed the location of our Signature Event to the Dulles Expo Center.  We waited out the shutdown as long as we could. We had to finalize logistics and give those groups firm location commitments by this time.  The Dulles Expo Center address is 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly, Virginia.  We will be in the North Hall.  RobotEvents, our volunteer page, and social media are being updated to reflect this change.***

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VEX Night at the Museum is a two day VEX Robotics Competition (VRC) Signature Event at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Udvar-Hazy Center in Chantilly, VA.  60 high school teams from around the world will compete for top honors in the VRC and three teams will qualify for the VRC World Championship in April. Teams can participate in this event by qualifying for the tournament by winning the Excellence Award, Tournament Champions, Design Award, or Robot Skills Champion Award at a local event by January 14th, 2019 or by adding their team to the waitlist.  There is a max of 2 teams per organization. Please add yourself to the waitlist if you would like to attend.

Join us at the museum to have a unique, high quality VRC Turning Point Competition where teams will practice on fields under the thrusters of the space shuttle Discovery. Competition and skills fields will be back-dropped by the Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, a retired reconnaissance aircraft used through the Cold War. Teams will have eight qualification matches to earn a top spot as alliance captain going into the best of 1 elimination round. 

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center, in Chantilly, VA is located next to Dulles International Airport.  Dulles Airport services over 130 domestic and international destinations, is home to 40 carriers, and services over 300 daily departures to locations all over the world making this event easy to travel to and from.  Numerous hotel options exist in and around Dulles Airport and the Udvar-Hazy Center area.  Chantilly, VA is a short 40 minute drive to our nation's capital Washington D.C.  Home to the White House, U.S. Capitol, Lincoln Memorial, National Mall, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, and countless other historical monuments and museums, Washington D.C. is a tourist destination.  The Wielhe-Reston East Metro Station, a 10 minute drive from the museum, can give you quick subway access to all of Washington D.C's popular attractions.


Grade Level: High School

Skills Challenge Offered: Yes

Event Dates & Locations

Date: 25-Jan-2019 - 26-Jan-2019

Venue/Location:
Dulles Expo Center
4320 Chantilly Shopping Center
Chantilly, Virginia 20151
United States

Contact the Event Partner

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Code of Conduct

The REC Foundation considers the positive, respectful, and ethical conduct of teams to be an essential component of the competition. Participants are expected to behave in a respectful and professional manner, and to operate as student-centered teams with limited adult assistance. This includes all students, teachers, coaches, mentors, parents, and spectators associated with a team.

For more details, please refer to the REC Foundation Code of Conduct and Student-Centered Policy. If you have concerns about compliance with the Code of Conduct, please speak to the Event Partner during the event.

Agenda

Friday 1/25/19
10:00 AM - 2:00 PM  :   Doors Open, Check-In, Inspection and Practice Fields Open
12:00 PM  :   Teams must check-in by this time. One student & Robot
4:00 PM - 10:00 PM  :   Skills Fields open (Closed During Dinner)
  1:15 PM - 1:45 PM  : Drivers Meeting (Competition Fields)
  2:00 PM - 2:30 PM  :   Opening Ceremony
  2:45 PM - 3:45 PM  : Practice Matches (1 Match)
  4:00 PM - 5:30 PM  :   Qualification Matches (1 Match) & Skills Fields Open
  5:30 PM - 6:30 PM  :   Dinner Break
  6:30 PM - 10:30 PM  :   Qualification Matches (4 Matches/Skills Fields Close - 10:00 PM)
  11:00 PM  :   Facility Closes
   
 
Saturday 1/26/19
 9:00 AM   :   Doors Open and Practice Fields Open
 9:30 AM - 12:00 PM  : Qualification Matches (3 Matches) /Skills Fields (Open 9:30 to 11:30)
12:00 PM  : Qualifcation Matches End
12:15 PM - 1:00 PM  :   Alliance Selection
12:15 PM - 2:00 PM  : Skills and Practice Fields Open to Alliances for Practice
 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM  :   Lunch Break
 2:00 PM - 3:30 PM  : Eliminations & Finals
 3:30 PM - 4:30 PM  :   Awards Ceremony
 4:30 PM - 5:30 PM  :   Cleanup, Departure

 

Volunteer

We are in need of Judges, Computer Operators and General Assistants.  We will have training available on-site for these positions.  All volunteers will receive meals, snacks and a free shirt.  To volunteer, visit volunteer.novastem.us/vexnightatthemuseum

 

Emergency/Bad Weather Policy

We will update any cancellations on our facebook page: www.facebook.com/NOVAsystemic.  In the event of bad weather we will attempt to modify the event to fit within this weekend.  In the event of a complete cancellation details will be emailed to teams on how to proceed.

Refund and Payment Policies

Partial refunds of $150 will be issued up to January 1, 2019. Any teams cancelling beyond this date or not showing for the event will not receive a refund. 

Date: 25-Jan-2019 - 26-Jan-2019
Dulles Expo Center
4320 Chantilly Shopping Center
Chantilly, Virginia 20151
United States

Travel Info

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum Udvar-Hazy Center, in Chantilly, VA is located next to Dulles International Airport.  Dulles Airport services over 130 domestic and international destinations, is home to 40 carriers, and services over 300 daily departures to locations all over the world making this event easy to travel to and from.  Numerous hotel options exist in and around Dulles Airport and the Udvar-Hazy Center area.  Chantilly, VA is a short 40 minute drive to our nation's capital Washington D.C.  Home to the White House, U.S. Capitol, Lincoln Memorial, National Mall, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, Arlington National Cemetery, and countless other historical monuments and museums, Washington D.C. is a tourist destination.  The Wielhe-Reston East Metro Station, a 10 minute drive from the museum, can give you quick subway access to all of Washington D.C's popular attractions.

 

Webcast

To watch the event online, visit:  livestream.novastem.us/natm.  

December Team Email

Coaches and Mentors, the Night at the Museum Signature Event is now full.  We have 60 of the best high school teams from 26 states coming to compete on January 25th-26th.  To check out the team list or any other event information, please visit the event website. The agenda has been updated.  We are excited for the Signature Event and we hope you are too.  I wanted to share some updated logistical information before the upcoming break.

Museum Behavior:

It is expected that everyone associated with the event acts and behaves in a professional manner.  The museum has priceless artifacts and exhibits and security is tight as with any national museum in the DC area.  Any team that may damage an exhibit, intentionally break museum rules, or display any behavior contrary to the ethos of the museum will be removed from the tournament immediately-no questions asked.

Lodging:

For those still needing to make lodging arrangements, and may be unfamiliar with the Northern Virginia area, you will want to stay as close to the museum as you can for traffic purposes.  If you map the Udvar Hazy Air and Space Museum and/or Dulles Airport, you'll see that it is right off of highway 28 in Chantilly.  Any hotel off of that road (north of Interstate 66), highway 50, or route 286 in the Herndon area is a good option.  Route 7 is also an option as well but a little farther away. Highway 267 is a toll road.

Parking:

Parking at the museum is $15 per day that you pay when you leave  (in and out privileges). That being said each team will receive 2 free passes for the event at check-in. It is up to you how you distribute those among your group.

Food: 

Outside food can not be brought in to the museum but water is allowed. If you go get food you can eat it outside the museum. No food is allowed on the museum floor where most of the competition takes place.  There is a McDonalds on site that is open until 5:30PM.  

Friday Lunch: On your own

Friday Dinner: Dinner in pits-each team will receive 6 Chick-fil-a meals. (Sandwich/Bag of Chips/Water) If your team is over under on people you will need to share or make other arrangements.

Saturday Lunch: We will provide McDonalds vouchers (6 per team). Again if you need to feed more than 6 people please plan on making arrangements.

Tools:

Power tools and knives are not allowed to be brought in.  General tools (screwdrivers, etc.) are allowed.  The museum will allow our staff to bring screened power tools to keep in a secure location.  If teams would need to use one of these, we can escort them to the location to use.

We will touch base with all teams again in January but in the mean time if you have any questions, please let us know.  

January Team Email (1-7-19)

Teams

As many of you are aware the federal government is shutdown which means the National Air and Space Museum for the Signature Night at the Museum event is currently closed. We intend on hosting the competition at the museum should the government open in time, but just in case we have secured the Dulles EXPO Center as an alternate location.

The good news is that this event will go on as planned, and we are excited to see the level of competition you will bring.  The Dulles Expo Center is 3 miles south of the Udvar Hazy Air and Space Museum off of route 28.  The venue is close to the museum so you will not need to change hotel reservations.

Additionally, our California teams unfortunately had to withdraw due to a potential teacher strike. Their school division cancelled all January field trips. We will be filling those vacant spots shortly.

Hopefully the shutdown ends soon and we can have the event at the museum.  We will continue to update you as we get closer to the event.

Thank you

January Team Email (1-18-19)

Teams, we have officially changed the location of our Signature Event to the Dulles Expo Center.  We waited out the shutdown as long as we could. We had to finalize logistics and give those groups firm location commitments by this time so the Dulles Expo Center it is.  Their address is 4320 Chantilly Shopping Center, Chantilly, Virginia.  We will be in the North Hall.  RobotEvents, our volunteer page, and social media will be updated today to reflect this change.

If you visit the event page, you'll notice we updated the agenda slightly.  We pushed Friday times up a little so we will be ending a little earlier that night.  On Saturday, teams can not get into the building until 9 (previously 8 at the museum) so there are some changes to that day as well.  We've added the live stream information on the "Webcast" tab. Feel free to share that with those you know.  Teams must be checked in by noon on Friday.

As for other logistical information, there is no fee to park at the Expo Center so parking passes will no longer be needed.  If you remember from the previous update, you will be on your own for food.  There are many places, even within walking distance, of the Expo Center that will meet your needs.  If you have not uploaded consent forms, please do so. They are required to participate at the event.  The additional consent form I sent previously is not required as it was specific to the museum.

We look forward to having you at the event next week.  If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us.

Thank you

World Qualifications

The following awards will qualify for the 2019 VEX World Championship:

  • 1 Excellence Award Winner
  • 2 Tournament Champions

If a team double qualifies, the Robot Skills Champion or next highest unqualified skills team will receive the Worlds invitation.