Traveling through creative courses, hitting targets, delivering parts, and carrying teammates “across the sky” or “under the seas” are some of the tasks completed by original team-made vehicles. Teams use unusual sources of energy and original engineering to create vehicles that often don’t look or move like a vehicle. Teams perform an original skit that usually includes characters and special effects but the emphasis is on the running and testing of the vehicle.
2023-24 Vehicle Problem
Drive-In Movie
OM teams get the best seat in the house as they visit a drive-in and even become part of the movie being played! In this problem, teams will design, build, and run a vehicle with a team-created rider that travels to a drive-in theater. In the performance, the movie takes place all around the vehicle when suddenly a team-created special-effect occurs on the vehicle that makes it seem to become part of the action! It will include a lead actor character along with all the fun that comes with this nostalgic outdoor movie experience.
Past Vehicle Problems
Ahoy OMers! In this problem, a group of pirates sail their “ship” to reclaim stolen treasure and return it to the Queen. The pirates will battle an original sea monster that guards the treasure. The performance will also include a pirate captain, flag, and song.
Odyssey teams take their problem-solving skills inside a box as they create a performance that includes one or more team-created vehicles that will help a group of characters escape an unusual room. The vehicle will travel to areas within the room and complete tasks. Each time it completes a task it will release a “clue” that the group will use in the next area to release the next clue, and so on. When the vehicle performs the final task, it will reveal a final clue that allows the group to escape the room and they discover the mystery behind the room!
OMers are always looking for new fun — and funny — experiences! Teams will design and build a ride-on vehicle that takes an OMer character on an adventure in search of humor. The vehicle will use stored energy as it is propelled forward and in reverse. At each stop, the vehicle and the OMer will react to something humorous before traveling to the next destination. The humorous performance will also include an unplanned stop where the OMer character takes a selfie, a creative physical representation of the selfie, and a vehicle-produced special effect.
A group of “Longshots” believe a disastrous event that threatens the world is about to occur and must stop it. Because no one takes them seriously, it is up to the Longshots to solve the problem. To succeed they must send materials from all corners of the world using vehicles that overcome obstacles and travel simultaneously into and out of a Reaction Area. As time counts down the Longshots will use the components, including baking soda, to create a reaction that produces a very special effect and saves the day!
Who better to help those in distress than OMER? In this problem, OMER and his trusty Sidekick travel to different places with suitcases holding all of the parts of an OMER-mobile vehicle! OMER and his Sidekick will assemble and ride on the vehicle where it will function in different ways to “save the day.” Between attempts, the vehicle will be disassembled, put back into the suitcases, and taken to a different area where it will be reassembled and driven again. Finally, the OMER-mobile is thrown a hero’s parade as a show of appreciation!
On your mark…get set…go! In this problem, teams will ride on and drive original vehicles in an Odyssey-style triathlon. They will try to score in “curling,” hit the right targets when “jousting,” and “run track” by navigating a course in two directions. Between these events, the team will entertain the audience and the vehicle will change appearance. All of the action will take place in a team-created performance that features the vehicles’ triathlon travels, a commentator, and a coach.
This is your Odyssey, should you choose to accept it…your team will design, build, and run vehicles from a multi-level Parking Garage to a secret meeting place without being stopped. Vehicles will travel different routes to reach the same destination. During their Odyssey, the vehicles will do something that prevents them from being followed. The performance will include the reason for the meeting, someone that wants to prevent the meeting, a simulation of a scene taking place inside a vehicle as it travels, and a soundtrack to accompany the vehicles’ travel.
