VEX Robotics Elevates STEM Education with Competition Drone Offering and Revolutionary AI Coding Robot at ISTE Live
SAN ANTONIO, July 1, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — VEX Robotics, a leader in K-12 STEM education, is proud to feature its first drone product, the VEX AIR Competition Drone, alongside the innovative VEX AIM Coding Robot, at ISTELive 25. These offerings redefine STEM and computer science education, providing middle, high school and college students with unparalleled hands-on experiences in aeronautics, robotics and artificial intelligence.
The VEX AIM Coding Robot introduces a revolutionary approach to principles behind AI and computer science education – like pathfinding, automation, and sensor feedback. Designed for middle and high school students, VEX AIM makes complex artificial intelligence concepts accessible and engaging through playful, real-world learning. The technology behind VEX AIM teaches students how to use sensor-driven logic to navigate real-world problems. This reflects VEX Robotics' dedication to provide innovative, accessible educational tools that show students how computer science concepts apply directly to their world. For ISTELive 25, VEX will also unveil the VEX AIM Classroom Bundle, which will be on display at their booth. This multi-robot bundle is designed to help teachers organize VEX AIM in their classroom.
The VEX AIR Competition Drone integrates aeronautics, robotics and coding into an advanced educational platform for high school and college students. As VEX Robotics' first drone product, VEX AIR offers a unique opportunity for students to engage with cutting-edge technology, apply hands-on STEM concepts and prepare for careers in aerospace and robotics. The VEX AIR Competition Drone equips educators with key tools to launch STEM learning: the drone, dual joystick controller, interchangeable mission modules, sensors, cameras, and headset.
'At VEX Robotics, we are committed to empowering students with the skills and experiences necessary for the jobs of tomorrow,' said Jason McKenna, Vice President of Global Educational Strategy at VEX Robotics. 'With VEX AIR, we're providing students with a hands-on experience that bridges the gap between theoretical STEM concepts and real-world applications, preparing them for the future of technology and innovation. Simultaneously, VEX AIM is a continuation of our journey to make advanced concepts like AI universally accessible, ensuring all students can meaningfully engage with computer science and develop critical thinking.'
For more information on the VEX AIR Competition Drone, the VEX AIM Coding Robot, and to explore the comprehensive resources available to educators, visit: http://vexrobotics.com.
About VEX Robotics:VEX Robotics is a leading provider of education and competition robotics products to schools, universities and robotics teams worldwide. From Pre-Kindergarten to Career, VEX provides educators and students with accessible, scalable and affordable robotics solutions. A VEX Robotics project encourages teamwork, leadership and problem solving among groups. They allow educators to easily customize projects to students' ability levels, inspiring and preparing the STEM problem-solvers of tomorrow.
Media Contact:Madeleine Martinmadeleine.martin@finnpartners.com224-436-5267
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Star
34 minutes ago
- The Star
Voice of doubt in Nvidia's H20 chips grows louder in China
US chip giant Nvidia faces increasing mistrust in China over its H20 chips, after the company secured a licence from Washington to export the tailor-made processors by agreeing to pay 15 per cent of its revenues to the US government. On Sunday, a Chinese state media outlet labelled Nvidia's H20 chip as unsafe and urged Chinese buyers to boycott the artificial intelligence processors designed for the Chinese market. Despite Nvidia's repeated denials of 'back-door' vulnerabilities, Yuyuan Tantian, associated with state broadcaster China Central Television, said the H20 chip could not be trusted because of the US government's alleged efforts to embed 'back doors' in the chips. 'When a chip is neither environmentally friendly nor advanced or safe, as consumers, we certainly have the option not to buy it,' the outlet said in a commentary. It suggested that the H20 chip could be remotely controlled through hardware and software exploits, citing Washington's attempts in 1992 to implement surveillance via chip back doors and a recent bill proposed in May requiring US chipmakers to incorporate tracking features. Nvidia's chief security officer David Reber Jnr published a blog post last week titled: 'There are no back doors in Nvidia chips. No kill switches. No spyware.' Chinese state media's allegations come as the US Department of Commerce has begun issuing licences to Nvidia for exporting H20 chips to China. Nvidia and rival Advanced Micro Devices agreed to pay the US government 15 per cent of their revenues from chip sales to China as part of a deal with the Trump administration to secure export licences, the Financial Times reported on Sunday. Yuyuan Tantian's article reflects Nvidia's struggle to establish trust in China, which accounted for 13 per cent of its revenues in the last financial year despite escalating technology rivalry between Beijing and Washington. Last month, the Cyberspace Administration of China (CAC) summoned Nvidia for discussions about the risks associated with potential tracking and remote control functions of its H20 chips. In an opinion piece titled 'How can we trust you, Nvidia?' earlier this month, the People's Daily, the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, called on the US chipmaker to provide proof of its security measures to regain the trust of Chinese customers. In response, Nvidia said it 'does not have 'back doors' in our chips that would give anyone a remote way to access or control them'. The H20, an AI graphics processing unit released by Nvidia last year specifically for China to comply with US export restrictions, has become a focal point in the tech war between the two countries after Washington lifted a sales ban on the chip last month. While the resumption of H20 sales is expected to provide a near-term boost to China's AI development, Nvidia faces challenges amid Beijing's scrutiny and a push from domestic firms to adopt home-grown processors, such as those developed by Huawei Technologies. The CAC's review served partly 'as a reminder to domestic firms to avoid over-reliance on a single chip and to always be prepared to use alternatives', Chinese semiconductor research firm ICwise said in a note last week, which has since been deleted. The firm also said that China's interest in the H20 chip was likely to 'continue to wane' as the country's chip sector advanced. - SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST
The Sun
15 hours ago
- The Sun
Trump considers allowing Nvidia to sell AI chips in China with revenue share
U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday suggested he might allow Nvidia to sell a scaled-down version of its next-generation advanced GPU chip in China, despite deep-seated fears in Washington that China could harness American artificial intelligence capabilities to supercharge its military. Trump also confirmed and defended an agreement calling for U.S. AI chip giant Nvidia, led by Jensen Huang, and Advanced Micro Devices to give the U.S. government 15% of revenue from sales of some advanced computer chips in China, after his administration greenlit exports to China of less advanced AI chips known as the H20 last month. 'Jensen also has the new chip, the Blackwell. A somewhat enhanced-in-a-negative-way Blackwell. In other words, take 30% to 50% off of it,' Trump told reporters in an apparent reference to slashing the chip's capability. 'I think he's coming to see me again about that, but that will be an unenhanced version of the big one,' he added. Trump's administration halted sales of Nvidia's H20 chips to China in April, but the company said last month it had won clearance to resume shipments and hoped to start deliveries soon. 'The H20 is obsolete,' Trump said, saying China already had it. 'So I said, 'Listen, I want 20% if I'm going to approve this for you, for the country',' he added. The deal is extremely rare for the U.S. and marks Trump's latest intervention in corporate decision-making, after pressuring executives to invest in American manufacturing and demanding new Intel CEO Lip-Bu Tan resign over ties to Chinese companies. Analysts said the levy may hit margins at the chipmakers and set a precedent for Washington to tax critical U.S. exports, potentially extending beyond semiconductors. The U.S. Commerce Department has started issuing licenses for the sale of H20 chips to China, another U.S. official said on Friday. Both the U.S. officials declined to be named because details have not been made public. The China curbs are expected to cost Nvidia and AMD billions of dollars in revenue, and successive U.S. administrations have sought in recent years to limit Beijing's access to cutting-edge chips that could bolster China's military. Washington does not feel the sale of H20 and equivalent chips compromises national security, said the first U.S. official. The official did not know when or how the agreement with the chip companies would be implemented, but said the administration would be in compliance with the law. The U.S. Constitution prohibits Congress from laying taxes and duties on articles exported from any state. The Export Clause applies to taxes and duties, not user fees. When asked if Nvidia had agreed to pay 15% of revenues to the U.S., a company spokesperson said: 'We follow rules the U.S. government sets for our participation in worldwide markets.' 'While we haven't shipped H20 to China for months, we hope export control rules will let America compete in China and worldwide,' the spokesperson added. A spokesperson for AMD said the U.S. approved its applications to export some AI processors to China, but did not directly address the revenue-sharing agreement and said the company's business adheres to all U.S. export controls. The Commerce Department did not immediately comment. China's foreign ministry said the country has repeatedly stated its position on U.S. chip exports. The ministry has previously accused Washington of using technology and trade measures to 'maliciously contain and suppress China.' The Financial Times, which first reported the development, said the chip firms agreed to the arrangement as a condition for obtaining the export licenses for their semiconductors, including AMD's MI308 chips. It added that the Trump administration had yet to determine how to use the money. 'The Chinese market is significant for both these companies so even if they have to give up a bit of the money, they would otherwise make it look like a logical move on paper,' AJ Bell investment director Russ Mould said. 'SLIPPERY SLOPE' Still, analysts and experts questioned the logic of resuming sales if the chips could pose a national security risk. 'Decisions on export licenses should be determined by national security considerations and the tradeoffs of U.S. policy goals, not a revenue-creating possibility,' said Martin Chorzempa, senior fellow at the Peterson Institute for International Economics, an independent research institution. 'What it ends up creating is an incentive to control things, to then extract a payment, rather than controlling things because we're actually concerned about the risk to national security.' U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said last month the planned resumption of sales of the AI chips was part of U.S. negotiations with China to get rare earths and described the H20 as Nvidia's 'fourth-best chip' in an interview with CNBC. He said it was in U.S. interests for Chinese firms to use American technology, even if the most advanced chips remained barred, to keep them on a U.S. 'tech stack'. Some elements of Trump's trade policy are already facing legal scrutiny, with a federal appeals panel skeptical of his claim that a 1977 law, traditionally used to sanction enemies or freeze assets, also empowered him to impose tariffs. 'We aren't sure we like the precedent this sets,' Bernstein analysts said of the revenue-share deal. 'Will it stop with Chinese AI? Will it stop with controlled products? Will other companies be required to pay to sell into the region?' 'It feels like a slippery slope to us.' The analysts estimated the deal would cut gross margins on the China-bound processors by 5 to 15 percentage points, shaving about a point from Nvidia and AMD's overall margins. Nvidia generated $17 billion in revenue from China in the fiscal year ending January 26, representing 13% of total sales. AMD reported $6.2 billion in China revenue for 2024, accounting for 24% of total revenue. Nvidia has warned a China sales halt for H20 chips could cut $8 billion from July quarter revenue, while AMD has projected a $1.5 billion annual hit from the curbs. - Reuters
The Sun
a day ago
- The Sun
Nvidia and AMD to pay US 15% of AI chip sales to China
WASHINGTON: US semiconductor leaders Nvidia and Advanced Micro Devices have reportedly agreed to pay the United States government 15% of their revenue from artificial intelligence chip sales to China. The Financial Times, Bloomberg, and New York Times reported that Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang met with US President Donald Trump to finalise the unusual revenue-sharing arrangement. Nvidia, the world's top semiconductor producer, recently became the first company to reach a $4 trillion market value as AI demand surges. The California-based firm has faced restrictions on exporting advanced chips to China due to US national security concerns. Last month, Nvidia confirmed Washington would permit sales of its less powerful 'H20' chips, designed specifically for the Chinese market. Before the reported White House meeting, the Trump administration had not granted Nvidia licenses to sell these chips in China. The Commerce Department began issuing export licenses for chip sales to China on Friday, according to media reports. Advanced Micro Devices will also pay 15% of revenue from Chinese sales of its MI308 chips, previously barred from export. The New York Times estimates the deal could generate over $2 billion for the US government. This development follows recent US tariffs, including a 100% duty on semiconductor imports, exempting firms investing heavily in American manufacturing. The Trump administration has pursued aggressive trade policies to address imbalances and reshore production. – AFP
