This article explains how Event Partners and volunteers set up the Field area for a VEX AIR Drone Competition event, including Field requirements, safety considerations, the pairing table, and displays. It covers both competition Fields and Skills Fields.
Because Drones fly above the Field, the space around and above each Field matters just as much as the Field itself. Planning that space well lets Drones fly the way teams expect, keeps students, staff, and spectators safe, and helps matches run on time.
This article covers what needs to be in place before the event starts, while you set up your space. Other parts of the venue, such as pits, check-in, and judging areas, are covered in Preparing the Venue for a VEX AIR Event.
Definitions of the terms used here are maintained in the central glossary. For full safety expectations, see the VEX AIR Drone Competition Safety Policy.
Field Layout
Each VEX AIR Field is made up of the Field Tiles and the Border, surrounded by a Safety Zone. Knowing these areas helps event staff and teams understand who can be where during a match.
| Area | Where it is | Size | Who can be there while Drones are flying |
| Field Tiles | The flat inside of the Field, where Drones fly | 12 ft x 12 ft (3.7 m x 3.7 m) |
Drones only. |
| Border | The border tiles around the Field Tiles | 1 ft wide (0.3 m) The Field is 14 ft x 14 ft (4.3 m x 4.3 m) in total |
Drones only. The Head Referee warns Pilots whose Drones get too close to the edge. |
| Safety Zone | The space just outside the Field | 3 ft wide (~1 m) on every side Each Field needs a 20 ft x 20 ft (6.1 m x 6.1 m) area in total |
Two Flight Team Members per team, in their Pilot Station, and referees. |
| Outside the Safety Zone | Everything beyond the Safety Zone, and above 8 ft (2.4 m) | — | Everyone else, including field resetters and other event staff. Spectators stay behind the audience line. |
Building the Field
Field build instructions are available in the VEX AIR Field Assembly Instructions.
When building the Field:
- Build on a clean, level floor. The Field Tiles are thin and can be damaged if they are placed over something uneven, such as cords, tape seams, or debris.
- Level the Field Platforms. The Field Platforms sit at the two pit-side corners of the Field. Drones take off from them, so they need to be flat and stable.
- Keep shoes off the Field. Shoes can damage the Field Tiles, especially heeled shoes. Students never step onto the Field. Event staff who need to reset or repair the Field should remove their shoes first.
- Build every Field the same way. All Fields at an event should be built to the same specifications, so teams get the same experience no matter which Field they fly on.
Marking the Field Area
Marking each area with colored tape on the floor helps everyone know where to stand. Use a different color for each type of area, and use the same colors on every Field at the event.
Mark these areas at every Field:
- Safety Zone: Tape the outside edge of the Safety Zone, 3 ft (~1 m) from the edge of the Field on all sides.
- Pilot Stations: Each Pilot Station is inside the Safety Zone, on the side opposite the audience. The blue Pilot Station wraps around the blue corner of the Field, and the red Pilot Station wraps around the red corner. Two Flight Team Members per team stand here during a match.
- Referee Area: The Referee Area is the space between the two Pilot Stations.
- Audience line: On the audience side, set up a line at least 10 ft (3 m) from the edge of the Field.
Field resetters and other event staff wait outside the Safety Zone during a match and step in only after the Head Referee says it is safe.
The Pairing Table
Before every match, teams pair their Controller with the Field Control System. The event needs a pairing table where this happens, similar to a queuing table at other events.
When setting up the pairing table:
- Place it on the pit side, outside the Safety Zone, where teams can easily walk from the pits to the pairing table to their Pilot Station.
- Plan for power. The pairing table has a laptop, so plan for an outlet and any cords it needs.
- Leave room for teams to wait without blocking the walkway or stepping into the Safety Zone.
Larger events may also want separate queuing tables where teams wait for their match after pairing their Controllers.
Displays
Each Field has a Field Display and an Audience Display connected to it.
- The Field Display gives Pilots the match information they need while they fly.
- The Audience Display lets spectators follow each match and the event. It is optional for Skills Fields.
Secure all cables. Equipment such as the displays and the pairing table laptop needs power. Keep cables out of busy walkways, tape them down to prevent tripping, and never run them through the Safety Zone, where Pilots and the Head Referee stand.
Setting Up More Than One Field
Events with more than one Field usually place them side by side in a row, with all Pilot Stations on the pit side and all audience areas on the opposite side.
When setting up more than one Field:
- Leave a walkway between Safety Zones. Each Field needs its own full 3 ft (~1 m) Safety Zone, and no one may enter a Safety Zone while Drones are flying. A walkway between neighboring Safety Zones lets teams and event staff move between Fields as matches shift from one Field to the next.
- Use one audience area. A single line along the audience side can serve every Field.
- Use one pairing table for the whole event. Teams pair in one central location for all matches, both competition and Skills.
- Make every Field consistent. Fields used for the same purpose should use the same build, tape colors, and signage.