VEX GO is an easy build system which allows students in grades three through five to build many educational projects. Its flexibility and function can also be used in higher grades.
This article will introduce you to the parts which will allow you to connect other VEX GO parts together. These parts include:
Pins
Pins are small plastic parts which are used to build VEX GO projects. There are four different types of pins: the Red Pins, the Green Pins, the Pink Pins, and the Gray Pins.
Red Pins
The Red Pins are the most commonly used connector for the VEX GO system. These pins have two round pegs separated by a flange.
Red Pins allow any two parts with round holes to be connected together such as a Green Beam to a White Plate.
Green Pins
Green Pins are very much like the Red Pins. However, one side of a Green Pin has a peg which is two times longer than a Red Pin.
The longer peg allows for a connection of two levels of plastic parts on one side of the Green Pin and one thickness of a plastic part on the other. For example, one side of the Green Pin can be inserted into a Black Large Beam. An Orange Beam can be inserted on the other side of the pin. Then a Pink Beam can be inserted on top of the Orange Beam.
This will allow all three layers of parts to be attached together.
Pink Pins
A Pink Pin has some special features. It has a cap to keep it from sliding through a round hole. It has a round section which allows it to be inserted into a round hole and it has a square peg which allows it to be inserted into a square hole.
For example, a Pink Pin could be inserted through a Blue Beam and its cap will keep it from passing through. The Pink Pin’s round area fits into the hole of the Blue Beam and the square peg can fit into the square hole of a Blue Gear allowing the gear to spin freely.
In the Supercar project, the Pink Pin allows the Blue Gear to spin freely and provide a transfer of power from the Rubber Band to the Gray Wheel.
Gray Pins
A Gray Pin has a square peg with a flange, then a round section, and a square peg.
The Gray Pin’s features allow it to be inserted into a Motor or a Knob which will force the pin to spin. The Gray Pin can pass through a round hole in a part and then into the square hole of another part.
For example, a Gray Pin’s square peg with a flange could be inserted into a Motor then through a Black Large Beam. On the other side of the Black Large Beam, a Red Gear could be inserted onto the square peg of the Gray Pin. This will allow the motor to spin the Red Gear.
Standoffs
When building projects with the VEX GO system sometimes more space is needed between the parts. Standoffs are connectors which allow this to happen. Standoffs have a round peg on each end and a middle section which provides a spacing between parts.
There are three different sizes of standoffs. These include:
- The Yellow Standoff has a spacing of one thickness of a plastic part.
- The Blue Standoff has a spacing of two thicknesses of plastic parts.
- The Orange Standoff has a spacing of four thicknesses of plastic parts.
Spacing between parts can be very important for your project. For example, you can use two Yellow Standoffs between a Yellow Angle Beam and a Yellow Connector. This will allow you to attach an Eye Sensor so it will be centered in the middle of your Robot Arm project.
Connectors
Connectors are very helpful parts. They allow you to connect two parts together. These connections can be at a 90-degree connection to one another or parallel to one another.
Connectors have round holes and pegs.
90-degree Connectors
90-degree Connectors come in three sizes. These include:
- Red Connectors have one peg and one hole. This allows these connectors to be able to rotate.
- Yellow Connectors have five holes and two pegs.
- Blue Connectors have six holes and two pegs. Blue Connectors are one hole longer than Yellow Connectors.
Connecting parts together at 90 degrees is a very important feature for the VEX GO system. For example, two Yellow Connectors can be used to connect a Gray Large Beam at 90 degrees to a Tile to make a base for your Robot Arm project.
Parallel Connectors
Parallel Connectors come in two sizes. These include:
- Green Connectors have two pegs on each side and two holes between the pegs.
- Orange connectors have two pegs on each side and seven holes between the pegs.
Parallel connectors can be very useful when building projects with the VEX GO system. For example, you can separate two parallel Black Large Beams with an Orange Connector when building your Super Car project.
Making connections between parts with the VEX GO system is fun and easy using pins, standoffs, and connectors. They will help you make the physical connection between parts to bring your imagination into reality.