Running a Robot Skills Match on a VEX V5 Controller

A Robot Skills project runs from the Competition Template, the same template used in a real match. How you set it up depends on which type of Robot Skills Match you are testing.

For Driver Skills, there are options. You can use the default Drive Program already on your robot, or you can write your own code and run it from the Driver Control section of the Competition Template.

Autonomous Coding Skills works a little differently. The Competition Template is required for an Autonomous Coding Skills Match. There's no default program to fall back on, so your code has to go in the Autonomous section of the template.

Need to create your project in the Competition Template? See these articles to learn more:

You can run a Robot Skills Match from the VEX V5 Controller using these steps.


Driver Skills

Driver Skills runs the code in your project's Driver Control section of the Competition Template. You can test it using your own Competition Template project or the default Drive Program that comes installed on the V5 Brain.

Using Your Own Competition Project

The V5 Controller on the home screen, showing the Drive project being selected.

Turn on the V5 Controller and make sure it is connected to the robot.

The home screen of the V5 controller, showing the Programs icon is selected with the right arrow and A buttons being highlighted.

Use the ▶ button on the controller to navigate to Programs. Then press A to enter the Programs menu.

The Programs menu screen of the V5 controller, showing the left and right arrow buttons and the A button being highlighted.

Use the ◀ and ▶ buttons on the controller to navigate to which project you want to use. Then press A to select that project.

The Program menu screen of the V5 Controller showing the Competition icon is selected with the right arrow and A buttons highlighted.

Use the ▶ button on the controller to navigate to Competition. Then press A to enter the Competition menu.

The Competition menu showing the Driver skills icon selected and highlighted on the screen.

From the Competition menu, select Driver Skills.

A confirmation page for Driver Skills, showing a trophy, a controller, and the A button. The A button on the controller is also highlighted.

On the confirmation page, press the A button to start running the project as a Driver Skills project.

The V5 Controller screen is highlighted, showing the number 3 on the screen.

The V5 Controller vibrates as it counts down from 3, then starts the project on a 1-minute timer.

The V5 Controller running a timed project, with the power button highlighted.

To stop a Skills project before the 1-minute timer ends, press, hold, and release the controller's power button.

Using the Default Drive Program

If you have not created your own project, you can run Driver Skills using the default Drive program installed on the V5 Brain.

The V5 Controller home screen with the Drive program selected.

From the home screen, press A to select the Drive program.

The Drive menu on the V5 Controller with the Competition option selected.

Use the ▶ button on the controller to navigate to Competition. Then press A to enter the Competition menu.

The Competition menu within the Drive program, with Driver Skills selected.

Press the A button to go into Driver Skills.

The Driver Skills confirmation screen for the default Drive program, with the A button highlighted.

Press A on the confirmation screen to start the countdown to the 1-minute timer.

Autonomous Coding Skills

Autonomous Coding Skills runs the code in the Autonomous section of your Competition template.

The V5 Controller on the home screen, showing the Drive project being selected.

Turn on the V5 Controller and make sure it is connected to the robot.

The home screen of the V5 controller, showing the Programs icon is selected with the right arrow and A buttons being highlighted.

Use the ▶ button on the controller to navigate to Programs. Then press A to enter the Programs menu.

The Programs menu screen of the V5 controller, showing the left and right arrow buttons and the A button being highlighted.

Use the ◀ and ▶ buttons on the controller to navigate to which project you want to use. Then press A to select that project.

The Program menu screen of the V5 Controller showing the Competition icon is selected with the right arrow and A buttons highlighted.

Use the ▶ button on the controller to navigate to Competition. Then press A to enter the Competition menu.

The Competition menu showing the Programming skills icon selected and highlighted on the screen.

From the Competition menu, select Programming Skills.

A confirmation page for Programming Skills, showing a trophy, a code icon, and the A button. The A button on the controller is also highlighted.

On the confirmation page, press the A button to start running the project as an Autonomous Coding Skills project.

The V5 Controller screen is highlighted, showing the number 3 on the screen.

The V5 Controller vibrates as it counts down from 3, then starts the project on a 1-minute timer.

The V5 Controller running a timed project, with the power button highlighted.

To stop a Skills project before the 1-minute timer ends, press, hold, and release the controller's power button.

For more information, help, and tips, check out the many resources at VEX Professional Development Plus

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