ENTRY CATEGORIES
The Energy Breakthrough has five separate categories designed to cater for different levels of technology application and understanding.
Jump to view a category:
ROBOTICS
Open to Primary and Secondary Students.
About
There’s no other Australian event that is part of the Sphero Global Challenge: the ultimate Robotics competition where winners will progress through to the World Championships!
The Sphero Global Challenge – presented by STEM It Up Sports – is an opportunity for students to go deeper with computational thinking, engineering, and programming skills.
It challenges learners to become master programmers, stealthy problem solvers, and top-notch teammates. With Mission Objectives designed for student agents of all ability levels, learners will grow and have a blast on this undercover adventure.
Students will compete in groups of 5, with at least two female team members per team. Teams of all abilities are encouraged to work together to identify problems and develop solutions centered around the season’s theme.
Through this challenge, students will work to accomplish their goals at the Energy Breakthrough’s State Final competition before the winners can progress to the World Championships. Wow.
Classes
PRIMARY
SECONDARY
PUSHCARTS
Open to Primary Students only.
About
The Pushcart event is a challenging but enjoyable way of introducing energy use and technology to young students.
The machines are based on the humble billycart, and are pushed energetically through an obstacle course, sprint and circuit events at Maryborough in November.
The teams of ten students may obtain the assistance of other students, parents, friends, local trades people, community groups to build their pushcart.
Classes
Section 1 (A1): Teams from primary schools with an enrollment of 200 students or less.
Section 2 (A2): Teams from primary schools with enrollment more than 200 students.
HUMAN POWERED VEHICLES (HPVs)
Open to Primary & Secondary Students.
About
Entrants design, build and compete, using a vehicle powered solely by human power. The event specifications direct the construction of the vehicle – including safety, dimensions, steering regulations, lighting and warning device requirements.
Leading teams can cycle almost 900kms in 24 hours, with advanced materials such as carbon fibre, kevlar and titanium infiltrating vehicle designs. But its not just about the cutting edge – just the opportunity to participate keeps teams coming back year after year to pedal around the great lakeside circuits!
All entrants are be required to participate in the Trial sections on the street circuits at Maryborough in November (including a nine-hour lights-on period).
There will be a compulsory eight-hour break for primary entrants (Class A) during the night, making the duration of the primary event 14 hours.
Classes
Class A1: Primary students from schools with enrolment of 200 or less, of whom at least half of the team must be female.
Class A2: Primary students from schools with enrolment more than 200, of whom at least half of the team must be female.
Class All Female B/C: Teams consisting of all girls from Years 7 – 12.
Class B1: Students up to Year 8, of whom at least half of the team must be female.
Class B2: Students up to Year 10, of whom at least half of the team must be female.
Class C: Students up to Year 12, of whom at least half of the team must be female.
Open: Any group of school students, in Years 7 – 12, that cannot fulfil the gender requirements of other classes. This class is for secondary school students only.
TRY-ATHLON
Open to Primary & Secondary students.
About
Quick pit stops, fast acceleration and smooth handling are the key to success in the Time Trial and Obstacle Rally, whilst the 8 Hour Endurance Trial is a chance to really stretch the riders legs. This is the most widely assessed category at the Energy Breakthrough. Entrants use the same design requirements as for Human Powered Vehicles (HPVs).
Classes
Class A: Primary students, of whom at least half of the team must be female.
Class B/C: Students from Years 7 and 12, of whom at least half of the team must be female.
All Female: Any group of school students that consist of females only.
Open: Any group of school students that cannot fulfil the gender requirements of other classes.
ENERGY EFFICIENT VEHICLES (EEVs)
Open to Secondary Students.
About
The Energy Efficient Vehicle category is designed to engage students with current industry trends towards electric vehicles, hybrid, solar, low emission and other alternative fuel vehicles. Suitable for VCAL and Trade Training students, those interested in automotive systems, go kart designs and tinkering with motors – electric and petrol.
It is the most technically difficult challenge the program provides and teams often come up with ingenious drive systems that marvel judges. Some are extremely complicated, others are simple – but all are seeking an Energy Breakthrough.
The big challenge is seeing how far their limited fuel allocations can cary them in the 24-hour endurance trial (including a nine-hour lights-on period), on a street circuit in November.
Classes
The Energy Efficient Vehicle category is run in the following classes:
Pedal-Electric: Pedal and Electric power.
All-Electric: Electric power only.