About GC/EC
See our Team History Wiki here
GC/EC, the 'Glenfield College Eccentric Cyborgs', are Glenfield College's student driven VEX Robotics team from the North Shore of Auckland, New Zealand.
Founded in 2008 by our dedicated teacher and mentor David Aston, GC/EC is composed of various students, ranging in age from Year 9 (Form 3) to University students who are returning as mentors. We work in a constructive team environment with helpful and dedicated mentors, where we create a sense of family which helps to build both life skills and strong friendships.
As a team we inspire students to reach their full potential and teach them science, technology and engineering based skills as they build and program robots with "VEX" materials. These robots are designed to complete a set task and compete in Regional, National and International VEX Robotics Competitions. Awards are based on driving, programming, community contribution and excellence in design.
On the Achievements page you can see a full list of our achievements throughout the years.
In the 2008-2009 New Zealand National Competition our team was awarded the S.T.E.M (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Award for the integration of robotics into our school curriculum. We have in-class programmes which allow students both within and beyond the robotics team to work with VEX materials to learn physics, engineering and computer programming skills via the VEX system. In 2010 we also ran in-school VEX competitions for Year 9 and 10 (Form 3 and 4) students at Glenfield College to expand their learning; and recieved the 'Educate Award' at Nationals for our efforts.
Our team is known for our commitment to our community for teaching science and technology classes in local Primary and Intermediate schools, and through our interactive stalls at annual community Christmas Galas.
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VEX Competitions are run in "seasons" based on the North American school year, and have a new challenge or "game", each season; beginning in NZ in July and carrying through with monthly scrimmages (supplemented by weekly-fortnightly 'Informal' Scrimmages) until the World Champs in April the next year. The current 2012-2012 game is called 'Gateway'.
VEX Gateway is played on a 12’x12’ square field configured as seen above. Two alliances – one “red” and one “blue” – composed of two teams each, compete in matches consisting of a twenty-second autonomous period followed by two minutes of driver-controlled play.The object of the game is to attain a higher score than your opponent Alliance by Scoring Barrels and Balls in Goals, earning Bonus Points and Doubling or Negating Goals.
There are a total of twenty-six (26) Barrels, eighteen (18) Balls, two (2) Doubler Barrels and two (2) Negation Barrels available as Scoring Objects in the game. Most Scoring Objects begin in designated locations on the field, while some are available to be loaded prior or during the match. Each Robot (smaller than 18”x18”x18” to start) begins a match on one of their Alliance Starting Tiles. There are thirteen Goals, of varying heights which teams can Score Balls or Barrels in. Alliances earn Bonus Points for having the lowest Ball or Barrel in a Circular Goal. Doubler or Negation Barrels which are scored alter the point values in a Circular Goal. The field is divided into sections by two 6’ long PVC Gates that teams can lift during the Match.