2025 VEX V5 Signature Event in Taiwan: Building Robots, Resilience and Teamwork
20 December 2026
Five students from Canberra Secondary School's Robotics CCA travelled to Hsinchu, Taiwan, in December 2025 to compete in the VEX V5 Signature Event at Pacific American School. The trip gave students the chance to apply their robotics skills in an international setting, where they navigated technical challenges, language barriers, and high-pressure match situations. Beyond the competition, the experience built resilience, teamwork, and independence, with students drawing valuable lessons from int
From 17 to 20 December 2025, five students from Canberra Secondary School travelled to Hsinchu, Taiwan, to participate in a VEX V5 Signature Event held at Pacific American School.
The overseas competition gave our Robotics CCA students the opportunity to apply their robotics knowledge and skills in an authentic and challenging environment. Beyond competing, the students gained valuable experience in teamwork, problem-solving, communication and adapting to unfamiliar situations.
Setting Off for Taiwan
The students began their journey with excitement as they departed Singapore for Taiwan. Representing both Canberra Secondary School and Singapore, they understood the responsibility of conducting themselves well and supporting one another throughout the trip.
Travelling overseas as a team also encouraged the students to become more independent. They had to manage their belongings, follow the programme schedule and look out for their teammates.
Our five Canberrans setting off for Hsinchu, Taiwan, to represent the school at the VEX V5 Signature Event.
Arriving at Pacific American School
The competition was held at Pacific American School in Hsinchu. Upon arriving at the venue, the students familiarised themselves with the competition environment and prepared their equipment for the event.
Participating in an overseas competition exposed the students to a different setting and a larger community of robotics enthusiasts. It gave them the opportunity to observe how other teams approached robot design, preparation and competition strategy.
The team arriving at Pacific American School, the venue of the VEX V5 Signature Event.
Preparing the Robot
Careful preparation was essential throughout the competition. The students worked together to inspect the robot, check its mechanisms and make the necessary adjustments before their matches.
When problems arose, they had to identify the possible causes, discuss solutions and carry out repairs within a limited amount of time. Every student contributed to the preparation process by sharing ideas, completing assigned tasks and supporting the team.
These moments reminded the students that robotics is not only about constructing and programming a robot. It also requires patience, perseverance, careful observation and effective communication.
Students working together to inspect and prepare their robot before a match. Team members troubleshooting the robot and making adjustments under time pressure.
Taking Part in the VEX V5 Competition
During the competition, the students put their preparation into action. They had to communicate clearly, respond quickly to changing situations and make strategic decisions during each match.
The competition also allowed them to observe a variety of robot designs and strategies used by other teams. By interacting with and learning from fellow participants, the students gained new perspectives and ideas that could support their future development in robotics.
Regardless of the results of each match, the team remained focused and continued to reflect on how the robot and their approach could be improved.
Our Robotics CCA members preparing their robot during the VEX V5 Signature Event.
Sharing Their Engineering Process
As part of the competition experience, the students participated in an interview where they shared their robot design and engineering process.
They explained the ideas behind the robot, the roles of different team members, the challenges encountered and the improvements made during their preparation. Responding to questions required the students to think carefully and communicate their ideas clearly.
The interview helped them understand that engineers must not only create solutions but also explain and justify the decisions made throughout the design process.
Students explaining their robot design and engineering journey during the competition interview.
Growing Through the Experience
The trip provided many learning opportunities beyond the competition itself. The students learned to remain calm when faced with unexpected problems, persevere when their initial solutions did not work and support one another during demanding moments.
They also developed greater confidence and independence through travelling overseas, managing their responsibilities and representing the school in an unfamiliar environment.
Most importantly, the students learned that progress in robotics comes through continuous testing, reflection and improvement. Challenges and setbacks became opportunities for the team to learn and grow together.
Our Robotics CCA members getting ready for skill challenge
Students’ Reflections
The PAS VEX competition in Taiwan 2025 was my first ever robotics competition held overseas. I was honoured and excited when this opportunity came along. As the only driver of the team, I was tasked with many duties that would test my skillset. I was given the responsibility of handling the robot and winning the matches. Despite all the technical difficulties with the robot, I still persevered and fought hard with the controller. Even when my team needed help with building, I stepped in and contributed. Overall, PAS VEX was an amazing opportunity that introduced me to many new things. I got to learn from top teams around the world, such as Unicorn Puncher, Joinus, and Xelsious. All these teams have also been part of our robotics learning journey. Hence, I am grateful for the chance to represent my school and nation in Taiwan.— SEKAR YATHEESWAR (3 Empathy 2025)
Competing in PAS VEX Taiwan was an enriching and eye-opening experience for my team and me. At the start, the competition felt intimidating, as many of the other teams appeared highly passionate and committed. However, as time passed, we gradually adapted and learned to view our difficulties as valuable learning opportunities. Throughout the competition, we faced many challenges and often felt under pressure. One of the biggest was communicating with our alliance partners, as the language barrier between us and teams from other countries was significant. Being proficient only in English, while many other participants primarily spoke Mandarin, placed us at a considerable disadvantage. Despite these obstacles, we continued to give our best effort and made the most of the experience. Although we did not win any awards, the competition exposed us to a much broader perspective beyond local competitions and pushed us out of our comfort zone. It taught me the importance of staying positive when things do not go as planned, and of remaining committed even in challenging situations.— LIM MARY ANCHESKA B. (3 Empathy 2025)
The PAS VEX V5 competition in Taiwan was my first overseas competition, making it a memorable and meaningful experience. Competing in a different country was both exciting and challenging, as everything felt unfamiliar, from the competition environment to the high level of teams participating. This experience pushed me out of my comfort zone and gave me valuable exposure beyond local competitions. During the competition, my team and I faced various challenges, including technical issues with our robot. Midway through the competition, our drivetrain developed problems, which affected our robot’s movement and performance during matches. With limited time between rounds, we had to troubleshoot quickly and make adjustments under pressure. This tested our teamwork, communication, and ability to stay calm when things did not go as planned. One of the most valuable aspects of the competition was being exposed to many strong and experienced teams. Observing their robot designs, programming techniques, and match strategies helped us understand what it takes to perform at a higher level. Even though we did not win any awards, the experience was extremely rewarding. We learned a great deal from our mistakes and from other teams, and this motivated us to improve our robot’s reliability, strategy, and preparation for future VEX V5 competitions.— CHYE CHENG ZHANG (2 Diligence 2025)
The PAS VEX competition in Taiwan was my first overseas VEX Robotics competition. While it was certainly intimidating, I am grateful to have been given such a unique opportunity. One of my biggest challenges was the language barrier between the participating countries. As English is my only language, I had to rely on observing the gameplay as a scout to better understand the other teams. One thing I feel I did well was keeping the logistics organised, which made it easier for my team members to make quick fixes between rounds. Overall, I learnt to think on my feet when things did not go to plan, and not to let losses affect me. It was a truly fun and memorable experience.— CABRERA PAULA MARGARET MANIBO (3 Empathy 2025)
A Memorable Learning Journey
The PAS Taiwan Robotics Trip was more than an opportunity to participate in an overseas competition. It was a meaningful learning journey that strengthened the students’ technical skills, resilience, teamwork and confidence.
The lessons learned and memories created in Hsinchu will continue to inspire the five students as they take on future challenges in robotics and beyond.