{"id":43665,"date":"2025-08-19T15:33:39","date_gmt":"2025-08-19T20:33:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/?p=43665"},"modified":"2025-08-19T17:01:06","modified_gmt":"2025-08-19T22:01:06","slug":"und-leads-charge-in-competitive-robotics","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.und.edu\/und-today\/2025\/08\/und-leads-charge-in-competitive-robotics\/","title":{"rendered":"UND leads charge in competitive robotics"},"content":{"rendered":"

UND hosts VEX Robotics tournament at Mall of America, supporting next generation of engineers and scientists<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"UND
At the unofficial kickoff of the VEX Robotics competitive season, an atrium in the Mall of America gets decorated in UND green during the University of North Dakota Signature robotics competition event. Photo by Paige Prekker\/UND College of Engineering & Mines.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

On Aug. 1-2, the UND College of Engineering & Mines<\/strong><\/a> took the helm of the highly anticipated annual VEX Robotics Signature at the\u00a0Mall of America<\/strong><\/a>, now proudly titled the University of North Dakota Signature Event.<\/p>\n

Located at the mall\u2019s bustling north atrium, 200,000 curious daily mallgoers could stop their mid-shopping spree to watch robots whir, spin and score \u2014 and meet some of the engineers and scientists of tomorrow.<\/p>\n

At the heart of the action (and most VEX Robotics activities in the College of Engineering & Mines) was\u00a0Andrew Dahlen<\/strong><\/a>, lecturer of the\u00a0Department of Mechanical Engineering<\/strong><\/a>. No stranger to the VEX Robotics series, Dahlen has championed local mentorship in the community for almost 15 years now and has been an emcee at the VEX World Tournament for six years in a row.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis early season event is the unofficial kickoff to the new competition season,\u201d Dahlen said. \u201cThe University of North Dakota Signature Event gives VEX Robotics teams an opportunity to compete at a high level early in the season.\u201d<\/p>\n

Many of the 10,000+ viewers around the world who tuned into the event livestream<\/strong><\/a> did so for not only entertainment but also strategy. \u201cThe VEX Robotics Nation is watching this event to discover effective robot designs and game-play strategies which will evolve throughout the season,\u201d Dahlen said.<\/p>\n

\u201cNew for 2025, the University of North Dakota Signature was planned, executed and \u2018painted green\u2019 by the UND College of Engineering & Mines,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\"\"
Mall of America customers, who hail from countries around the world, looked on as the UND Signature event offered the chance to see top teams competing at the start of the robotics season. Photo by Paige Prekker\/UND College of Engineering & Mines.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Teams from around the world<\/h2>\n

Coinciding with UND championing this year\u2019s tournament were other changes around the event. For example, \u201cto accommodate an increase to 115 teams, the event format added a fourth competition field, allowing qualification matches to be played at a blistering rate of 24 matches per hour.\u201d The result? A better experience for teams.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey traveled long distances to compete in this event, so it\u2019s only fair we offer more matches and more time to collaborate with other teams across the world,\u201d Dahlen said.<\/p>\n

Competing at the annual Mall of America tournament is a big deal for students; it\u2019s a premier opportunity to compete against some of the world\u2019s best teams. With registration filling up in less than 10 minutes, teams from around the country and world vied for a chance to compete \u2014 and for a shot at the most coveted prize: the ability to advance to the VEX Robotics World Championship<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

Three lucky teams snagged the fast-pass to the World Championship scheduled in St. Louis in 2026:<\/p>\n