The Oak Mountain Middle School Robotics Team recently earned two top ten national rankings at the Technology Student Association (TSA) National VEX Robotics Competition held in Orlando, Florida. The team earned an invitation to the national competition by winning the Alabama state competition with an undefeated record – the only team at the middle or high school level to do so.

Held in conjunction with the 2013 National TSA Conference, the TSA National VEX Robotics Competition hosted more than 100 teams from across the United States this year. Participating teams took part in three full days of action-packed competition.

Middle and high school teams were required to design, program, and build semiautonomous robotic machines capable of effectively navigating obstacles and challenges incorporated in VEX Sack Attack, a strategic challenge played on a 12’x12′ square field.  By applying acquired skills in science, technology, engineering, and math, teams compete in matches by maneuvering their robots around the field of play gathering small sacks to score points, while also working strategically to negate the points scored by the opposing team.

Event categories ranged from technical design, problem solving, and robotic construction to programming, communication strategies, and energy source research. The OMMS Robotics Team finished the competition with a fourth place national ranking in Middle School Programming Skills, and an eighth place national ranking overall for the Middle School Tournament Champion Award.