Amazing Mechatronics

Amazing Mechatronics is a Division B and Division C trial event in which competitors must use their knowledge of mechatronics to debug and program using Arduino microcontrollers. It was run as an official event at the 2017-2019 North Carolina state tournaments, as well as all 2019 North Carolina regional tournaments, the 2019 Wisconsin state tournament, and the 2019 Virginia 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.

Tinkercad Circuits
All competitors must use an Arduino Uno and a breadboard, with no battery allowed. Common components are: LEDs, photoresistors, temperature sensors, potentiometer, piezos, buttons and switches.

LEDs
There are two types of LEDS, regular LEDS, and RGB LEDs. The former is one of the most common components in the event, and one of the easiest to work with. LED stands for light emitting diode. To wire it you need: a resistor, a breadboard, an Arduino Uno, and four wires. First, ground the LED by connecting a wire from the negative rail on the breadboard to one of the grounds on the Arduino, do the same thing to get a power source, except the wire comes from the positive rail and goes to 5 volts (5v).

Scoring
Each part of the event counts for 50% of the total score. Points are awarded for correct answers, with each question being of the same worth. Ties are broken by who completed their first circut, in the second part, first.