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VEX V5 Robotics Tutorial Series

Welcome to the comprehensive tutorial series for VEX V5 robotics programming! This guide is designed for 8th-grade students with no prior coding experience.

Your Learning Journey

---
title: Your Learning Journey
---
flowchart TD
    subgraph Row1[" "]
        direction LR
        A["0. WELCOME<br/>Start here!"] --> B["1. PHYSICS<br/>How things move"]
        B --> C["2. ROBOT ANATOMY<br/>Know your bot"]
    end
    subgraph Row2[" "]
        direction LR
        D["3. PYTHON BASICS<br/>Learn to code"] --> E["4. DRIVE CONTROL<br/>You drive it"]
        E --> F["5. AUTONOMOUS<br/>Robot drives itself!"]
    end
    subgraph Row3[" "]
        direction LR
        G["6. COMPETITION STRATEGY<br/>Push Back 2026"] --> H["7. ADVANCED<br/>Level up!"]
    end
    C --> D
    F --> G
Section What You'll Learn Time
0. Welcome Introduction, setup, meet your code 15 min
1. Physics Foundations Forces, gears, friction 45 min
2. Robot Anatomy Brain, motors, sensors 30 min
3. Python Basics Variables, functions, loops 45 min
4. Drive Control Tank drive, arcade drive 30 min
5. Autonomous Programming movements 45 min
6. Competition Strategy Push Back game tactics 30 min
7. Advanced PID, sensors, skills auto 60 min
Appendix Quick reference, troubleshooting Reference

Total Learning Time: ~5 hours (spread across multiple sessions)

Before You Start

What You Need

  • A computer (Windows, Mac, or Linux)
  • VS Code installed
  • VEX Robotics Extension installed
  • This repository cloned to your computer
  • Enthusiasm to learn! (No coding experience required)

Optional But Helpful

  • Access to a VEX V5 robot for hands-on practice
  • A friend or teammate to learn with

How These Tutorials Work

Each Tutorial Includes:

  1. Real-World Analogy - We connect every concept to things you already know
  2. Explanation - Clear, step-by-step breakdown of the concept
  3. Code Connection - We show exactly where this applies in your robot code
  4. ASCII Diagram - Visual representation (works everywhere!)
  5. Exercise - Hands-on practice to cement your learning

Symbols You'll See

Symbol Meaning
code This is actual code you can run
Bold Important term or concept
Italic Emphasis or new vocabulary
> Quote Tips and helpful hints
:warning: Watch out! Common mistake ahead

The Push Back Game (2025-2026)

This tutorial series prepares you for the Push Back competition:

    +----------------------------------------------------------+
    |                    PUSH BACK FIELD                        |
    |                      12' x 12'                            |
    |                                                           |
    |   [LONG GOAL]          [CENTER]          [LONG GOAL]     |
    |   10 pts/zone           6-8 pts          10 pts/zone     |
    |                                                           |
    |              88 BLOCKS scattered on field                 |
    |                                                           |
    |   [PARK ZONE]                           [PARK ZONE]      |
    |   RED 8-30 pts                          BLUE 8-30 pts    |
    +----------------------------------------------------------+

    AUTONOMOUS: 15 seconds (10 pt bonus available)
    DRIVER:     1 minute 45 seconds

Key Game Elements: - Score blocks (3 pts each) - Control zones (6-10 pts each) - Park robots (8 pts one, 30 pts both!) - Descore opponent blocks (allowed!)

Learning Path Options

Follow tutorials 0 → 1 → 2 → 3 → 4 → 5 → 6 → 7 in order

Path B: I Already Know Some Python

Skip to 3. Python Basics to check your knowledge, then continue

Path C: Just Here for Competition

Jump to 6. Competition Strategy (but you may need to backtrack)

Path D: Quick Reference

Go directly to Appendix for cheat sheets and troubleshooting

Your Robot's Code Files

Throughout these tutorials, you'll work with these files:

src/
├── main.py           ← Entry point (runs on the Brain)
├── robot_config.py   ← Motor and sensor setup
├── autonomous.py     ← 15-second autonomous routines
├── driver_control.py ← Tank and arcade drive modes
└── utils.py          ← Helper functions

You'll understand every line of these files by the end of this series!

Getting Help

Stuck on Something?

  1. Check the Troubleshooting Guide
  2. Look up terms in the Glossary
  3. Ask your coach or mentor
  4. Visit the VEX Forum

Found a Mistake?

Let your instructor know so we can fix it!

Ready to Begin?

Start with Tutorial 0: Welcome →

These tutorials were created to help 8th-grade students learn VEX V5 robotics programming from scratch. No prior experience required!