BEST Robotics Inc. Boosting Engineering, Science, and Technology

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BEST Robotics Inc.Boosting Engineering, Science,
and Technology

• The future rests in the hands of the youth of
  today.
• The responsibility to prepare them rests with us.

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BESTPhilosophy

• To inspire and motivate students toward studies
  and careers in engineering, science, and
  technology by providing a sports-like technology
  competition.
• Problem to solve with teamwork processes
• Setting and achieving goals within time limits
• Managing limited resources to effect optimum
  solutions

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LEVEL OF PARTICIPATION
Odyssey of the Mind BEST
US FIRST Students Information Coach
es
In BEST, the students and coaches are a team!
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How BEST got startedU.S. FIRST 1993 - RUG RAGE

• TI Sherman sponsored 2 teams to competition in
  New Hampshire
• Sherman High School - Texas Inst. SC
• Denison High School - Texas Inst. Defense
• US FIRST Cost per Team - 15K (Entry Fee
  Travel)
• Texas Instruments Leadership decided to host a
  local competition to determine which school would
  receive TI funding to U.S. FIRST
• BEST programs are industry sponsored and for the
  same s as US First it reaches about 10 to 20
  times more students

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NT BEST 1993PVC INSANITY

• 14 Teams from Grayson County and 1 from San
  Antonio
• Involvement
• 221 Students
• 84 Professional coaches and teachers
• 28 Committee members
• TI Site wide involvement
• Defense systems
• Semi-conductor
• Facilities
• Sent top 2 teams to U.S. FIRST
• TI Sherman supported 1st place team
• GTE supported 2nd place team

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BEST 1994BUMBLE RUMBLE

• NT BEST - 20 Teams from Texas, 3 from Oklahoma
• TI Sherman sent 1st place local team to US FIRST
• SA (San Antonio) BEST was formed
• Total BEST Involvement
• 495 Students
• 212 Professional coaches and teachers
• First Texas BEST Finals competition at Howard
  Payne University

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BEST 1995TOTALly aweSUM

• 5 Hubs
• NT BEST - North Texas, 24 teams
• SA BEST - San Antonio, 24 teams
• WT BEST - Lubbock/Amarillo, 16 teams
• CoCo BEST - Collin County, 14 teams
• Illinois BEST - Chicago suburbs, 10 teams
• Total stats
• 81 teams, 1,005 students, 469 coaches teachers
• Texas BEST championship held at Texas AM
  University
• 26 teams, representatives from all 5 hub sites
• Campus tours, demonstrations
• Awards ceremony and pizza party

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BEST 1996Block n Load

• 6 Hubs
• NT BEST - North Texas
• SA BEST - San Antonio
• WT BEST - Lubbock/Amarillo
• CoCo BEST - Collin County
• Dallas BEST - Dallas Metroplex
• Brazos BEST - College Station/Bryan
• Total stats
• 123 teams and over 2000 students
• Texas BEST championship held at Texas AM
  University
• 26 teams, representatives from all 6 hub sites
• Campus tours, demonstrations
• Awards ceremony and fajita party

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BEST 1997 Dynamite Duel

• 7 Texas Hubs (Visitor teams) 1 Illinois Hub
• NT BEST - North Texas (Oklahoma)
• SA BEST - San Antonio (California)
• WT BEST - Lubbock/Amarillo (El Paso)
• CoCo BEST - Collin County (Hunt County)
• Dallas BEST - Dallas Metroplex (Waco)
• Brazos BEST - College Station/Bryan
  (Austin/Houston)
• DC BEST - Denton County (Ft. Worth)
• CHI BEST - Chicago, Illinois area (10 Teams)
• Total stats 165 teams and over 2400 students
  (Est)
• Texas BEST championship at Texas AM University
• 26 top teams representing 7 Texas hub sites
• Campus tours, demonstrations
• Awards ceremony and achievement Celebration

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BEST 1998 Toxic Troubles

• 11 Hubs 7 Texas 3 Rookie Hubs
• NT BEST - North Texas
• SA BEST - San Antonio
• WT BEST - Lubbock, Amarillo, and wide area
• CoCo BEST - Collin County
• Dallas BEST - Dallas Metroplex
• Brazos BEST - College Station/Bryan
• DC BEST - Denton County
• OK BEST (Oklahoma)
• NWA BEST (Northwest Arkansas)
• NC BEST (Northern Colorado)
• Illinois BEST (Chicago Area/Spring 99)
• Totals 190 teams over 2400 students (Est)
• Texas BEST championship at Texas AM -
• 26 teams in 1998 50 Teams in 1999

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1999 BEST Time Line
Oct 30 Local Hub BEST
Sept. 18 Local Hub Kickoffs
May 1 Schools commit
Oct 23 Mall Day
Prototype Kickoff May
June Prototype Game
April Purchase Long Lead Kit Items
Nov. 20 Texas BEST AM
CONTEST
Schools Out
January
April
July
October
Alternate dates for Kick-off and Local Hub
Contests is One week after base date above
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How to get in the program
Two paths forward...
Organize multi-team competition
BEST HUB SITE
Organize multi-team competition
Send 1 team to a Hub Site
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School Participation

• What do the schools need to provide
• Administration support
• Students (5-30, 10-15 works well)
• Faculty coaches (1-2)
• Classroom/Shop access after school hours
• Technical coaches (3-4 engineers/technicians)
• Transportation to/from competition sites
• Subset of team to kickoff meeting
• Team to practice session at Mall day
• Team and vehicle to check-in Friday night
• Team to local competition
• Team and vehicle to Texas BEST if they qualify

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Time Commitment

• What can teams expect during 6-8 week period
• Week Activity Days and Hrs/Week
• Wk 1 - Kickoff meeting/Brainstorming 3 days, 3
  hrs/day
• Wk 2 - Brainstorming/prototyping 3 days, 3
  hrs/day
• Wk 3 - Prototyping/start machine build 4-5 days,
  3-4 hrs/day
• Wk 4 - Machine build 4-5 days, 3-4 hrs/day
• Wk 5 - Machine build/Mall day 4-5 days, 4-6
  hrs/day
• Wk 6 - Refinement, driving practice 4-5 days, 4-6
  hrs/day
• End of Wk 6 - Local competition Fri night,
  Saturday
• Wk 7,8 - Repairs, driving practice 3 days, 2
  hrs/day
• End of Wk 8 - Texas BEST competition Friday-Sunday
  
• Note This is on the high side, but the schools
  which have been successful spend this much time,
  and more!

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Coaches/mentors

• The attitude of the coaches is critical to the
  success of the program. It is key to a rewarding
  experience for the students.
• BEST approach
• The coaches role is to
• Mentor, guide, teach, team with, be a good
  example for, and motivate
• The coaches may not
• Take over, force ideas, design the vehicle, build
  the vehicle

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New Hub Site Participation

• Roadmap for BEST Implementation
• Sponsor one school to compete in another BEST HUB
• Learn how BEST works
• Decide if you should become the core group for
  your own BEST hub site next year
• Hub sites require a dedicated group of
  individuals to work with
• School/Teacher Sponsors
• Texas BEST steering committee
• Funding sources
• Coaches/mentors

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New Hub Site Participation

• What do the schools provide
• Administration support
• Students
• Faculty coaches
• Classroom/Shop access after school hours
• Transportation to/from competition sites
• What does the local HUB committee provide
• Funding
• Organization
• Technical coaches/mentors
• Majority of coaching hours are after normal
  business hours (volunteer)

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Hub Site Annual Budget (typical)

• Kit cost (Y1) 500/team includes RC, motors,
  batteries
• Kit cost (Y2) 300/team only consumables
• Fast chargers 200 1st year only
• Field/carpet 750 can reuse carpet
• Kit maint. 500 yearly RC expense
• BEST (Finals) 2,000 Hub winner travel to
  Finals
• Trophies 500 BEST 1-4 place, special
  awards
• Shirts/hats 1,500 identify committee at
  contest
• HUB Buttons 300 for students Supporters
• Recognition 1,000 lunch for coaches committee
• Programs/
• Photo 500 Prog. printing event photos

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BESTFUTURE VISION
Illinois BEST
Kansas BEST
Colorado BEST
MidAmerica BEST
NWA BEST
Canada, Mexico, ... BEST
O
OKC BEST
O
Every State BEST
WT BEST
NT BEST
DC BEST
CC BEST
DAllas BEST
El Paso BEST
Texas BEST
Brazos BEST
Louisiana BEST
Austin BEST
4Star BEST
SA BEST
Existing Hubs Active Rookie Hubs Possible
Hubs Regional Competions
Space city BEST
South Texas BEST
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New BEST HUB Startup??Next Actions

• Volunteer organization for current year
  activities
• School teams developed to participate in existing
  HUB or
• Recruit New HUB Leadership Team
• Recruit Industry Sponsors
• Obtain school commitments
• Develop Detail action plans
• People
• Events (Kick off, Mall Day, HUB competition, )
• Recruit Coaches