About the Competition

How does the competition work?

There are two parallel competitions associated with the BEST program -- the robotics competition and the BEST Award. For both competitions, each participating school is provided an identical kit of equipment and parts, a set of game rules, and given eight weeks to design, build, and test a Remote Controlled robot that outperforms other robots. Engineers, University faculty members, and other technical professionals from local industry serve as team mentors, advising and guiding students throughout the design and construction of their robot; however, students perform all of the work.

FalconBEST Awards:
  • BEST Award, 1st – 3rd place
  • Robot Performance, 1st – 3rd place
  • Founder’s Award for Creative Design
  • Most Robust Design
  • Minecraft Challenge Award
  • BEST Robot Modeling Award
  • BEST Engineering Drawings Award
  • BEST Video Design Award
  • BEST Website Design Award
  • T-Shirt Award

Learn more about BEST Inc., the founding organization and the national competition.

The Robot performance competition consists of the head to head event on game day.  The 3 required elements of the Robot Performance competition are: 

  • Project Engineering Notebook
  • Critical Design Review 
  • Functioning Robot 

In addition to the robotics competition, students compete for the BEST Award, which is presented to the team that best embodies the concept of “Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology.” The 6 elements of the BEST Award include:

  • Functioning Robot 
  • Project Engineering Notebook
  • Critical Design Review 
  • Marketing Presentation
  • Team Exhibit and Interview
  • Spirit and Sportsmanship (Post-Poned for 2021) 
  • Robot Performance on the game field 

The BEST Award competition is optional for schools.

Additional skills challenges may be offered by the hub that will test your students' skills and knowledge and enhance their overall experience.

BESTMania IQ Challenge (Canceled for 2021 Season) 

So you think your students are pretty smart, eh? Let them try the weekly BESTMania IQ Challenge, collect points for their team and learn a few new things along the way. Lots of twists and turns and ways to boost their score each week. They can also earn points all week long through the MathZing Prep challenges; SAT and Grade8 math prep for points! Join the games at https://www.mathzing.com/bestmania.php.

BEST Minecraft Challenge

Yep, you guessed it, a Minecraft game modeled after our 2021 game, Demo Daze! Get online, compete as a team, beat the clock to score as many points as you can. Solve puzzles and learn more about the game theme and realworld implications as you try to achieve milestones and create new materials. Anyone can play, but your game time is limited so play wisely!

Robot Modeling Challenge

Take your team's robot design to the next level. Model it in a 3D environment where you can simulate its movements. Maybe your students are skilled enough to demonstrate it in action on the Demo Daze virtual game field! Import from CAD tools or model it from scratch in Mathworks Simscape Multibody environment. Take your time, do as much as you can, earn points for each accomplishment.

Engineering Drawings Challenge

Many teams already use Computer Aided Design (CAD) in the development of their robot. Let them take it one step further and create masterful drawings that will win this award! Engineering drawings are important throughout industry. Learning how to produce proper drawings will be an incredible boost to their resume.

Website Design Challenge

Your students can learn how to design a website and earn points for the skills they demonstrate. They can use this platform to learn how to program in a variety of languages including HTML, CSS, Java, Python, and others. Help Copyright 2021 © BEST Robotics, Inc them tap into their artistic side to create a visually appealing and functional website. Website design is a great skill to have in their portfolio. It's all about the design!

Video Design Challenge

Video is a common tool we use every day it seems. All our mobile devices have video cameras. But there is an art (and great skill) in creating a good video. Students can learn about the basics of photography and videography as they develop a custom video on one of our select topic areas. They could be crowned Master of Video Design!

T-Shirt Competition 

Updated: 01/17/2024 04:36PM