Amazing Mechatronics

Amazing Mechatronics is a Division C trial event in which competitors must use their knowledge of mechatronics to debug and program using Arduino microcontrollers. It was run as a trial event at the 2018 North Carolina State Tournament, as well as the 2019 Wisconsin State Tournament.

The Event
The event is run in two parts. The first part takes the form of a test, and the second requires teams to complete as many projects as possible from a given list posted at the event. In the test, students are shown a diagram of a circuit or given an Arduino microcontroller that does not work as intended. Students must troubleshoot the problem and provide the solution, and the problem can be either in hardware or software. The test is limited to a list of specific topics outlined in the rules, and all projects will cover the same range of topics. Any materials required at stations will be provided at the event. Students are also allowed to bring two 8.5" x 11" double-sided handwritten note sheets.

Scoring
Each part of the event counts for 50% of the total score. Points are awarded for correct answers, with each question being of variable worth. Ties are broken by the better score on the second part.