Robotics teams compete in the 2025 Hawaiʻi VEX Regional Championships
- Events qualified local teams to advance to the VEX Worlds
- Only 15 coveted spots are available for Hawaiʻi teams
HONOLULU (Feb. 18, 2025) – Sponsored by Hawaiian Electric and in partnership with the Hawaiʻi Space Grant Consortium, Hawaiʻi Army National Guard, Nānākuli High & Intermediate School, and Pearl City High School, the Hawaiʻi VEX Regional Championships were held:
- VEX V5 Robotics Competition, Jan. 25-26, at Hawaiʻi Army National Guard
- VEX IQ Robotics Competition, Feb. 15-16, at Pearl City High School
A total of 111 teams competed, representing public and private schools on Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi Island and in Maui County as well as club organizations and home teams. The Hawaiʻi VEX Regional Championships qualified
local teams for the 2025 VEX Robotics World Championships in Dallas, Texas and the opportunity to
compete with the best robotic teams from around the globe. Only 15 slots were available for Hawaiʻi teams at the Worlds. The events were free to the public. The VEX V5 Robotics Competition featured high school and middle school teams at the Hawaiʻi Army National Guard (97-1387 Saratoga Ave.) in Kapolei on Jan. 25-26. This year’s challenge, High Stakes, is a
fast-paced game that pits alliances of two teams against another alliance and requires robots to score rings on stakes, place mobile goals, and climb at the end of the match. Robots have a period of autonomous play followed by driver-controlled play.
Advancing from Oahu are Nanakuli High and Intermediate School, Mililani Mechs Robotics, and Waialua High and Intermediate School. Waiakea Intermediate School is advancing from Hawaii Island.
Mililani Mechs Robotics winning the "Tournament Champions Award"
Waialua High & Intermediate School winning the "Tournament Champions Award"
The double qualifications by these teams will allow two other Hawaiʻi teams – to be determined by the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation – to advance to the VEX Worlds.
The VEX IQ Robotics Competition featured elementary and middle school teams at Pearl City High School (2100 Hookiekie Street) on Feb. 15-16. This year’s challenge, Rapid Relay, is a teamwork challenge game that requires two teams to pass balls between robots, score balls through targets, and clear switches. A new student role to this year’s game, the Loader, gives students an opportunity to introduce balls directly onto the field, allowing for human-robot interaction.
Advancing from Oahu are Manoa Elementary School, Haleiwa Elementary School, Island Robotics, and St. Louis School. The double qualifications by these teams will allow two other Hawaiʻi teams – to be determined by the Robotics Education and Competition Foundation – to advance to the VEX Worlds.
Manoa and Hale'iewa Elementary School winning the "Teamwork Champion Award"
Saint Louis School & Island Robotics winning the "Teamwork Champion Award"
Team photos from the VEX Regional Championships are available at these Flickr links.
- V5RC High School: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBZyK1
- V5RC Middle School: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjBZyYn
- VIQRC Elementary School: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjC2V5t
- VIQRC Middle School: https://flic.kr/s/aHBqjC2UQt
VEX Robotics is an educational robotics program that inspires students to excel in STEM principles while encouraging creativity, teamwork, leadership, and problem-solving among groups. This season there were 250 registered teams from Hawaiʻi and over 1000 students participating in school, home, and club robotics programs.
Robotics competitions foster these skills and prepare students to become future innovators as well as increase their interest in pursuing STEM careers. Tournaments are held year-round at the regional, state, national and international levels, and culminate in the VEX Robotics World Championship. There are more than 20,000 teams from over 50 countries participating in VEX tournaments worldwide.
Locally, the Hawaiʻi Space Grant Consortium (HSGC), under the University of Hawaiʻi at Manoaʻs Hawaiʻi Institute of Geophysics and Planetology (HIGP) unit, oversees the Hawaiʻi VEX Robotics Competitions with funding through the University of Hawaiʻi Foundation. HSGC offers various remote and in-person trainings and workshops for coaches, teachers, and students, developing a robotics curriculum for STEM/robotics classes, and mentors teachers and students in rookie robotics programs. HSGC and HIGP work to inspire and prepare students to enter STEM degree pathways and careers to promote public understanding of NASA’s goals and missions.
Since 2013, Hawaiian Electric has been the presenting sponsor of the Hawaiʻi VEX Regional Championships, enabling teams to qualify for the VEX Worlds and compete on a global stage. Over the past four decades, the company has supported dozens of STEM education initiatives across the state including math and science bowls, engineering and science fairs, education summits, robotics programs, and STEM projects and events. Company employees also volunteer countless hours to provide student mentoring as well as staffing at robotic tournaments.