November 9, 2024
Kansas BEST is made possible by dedicated volunteers, loyal sponsors, the WSU College of Engineering and the Kansas BEST Steering Committee
- Dr. Anthony Muscat, Dean WSU College of Engineering
- Terrance Williams, Director Recruitment and Outreach
- WSU College of Engineering
for their full support of Kansas BEST.
WSU Foundation for enlisting Kansas BEST sponsors
Additional volunteers for their invaluable contributions
Times are approximate
7:00 a.m. Team Registration, Check-In, Team Photos
8:45 a.m. Pit Meeting
9:00 a.m. Opening Ceremony
National Anthem presented by ???????? High School
9:30 a.m. Seeding Competition (6 matches, randomly-selected opponents)
2:00 p.m. Wildcard Match
2:30 p.m. Top 8 teams play 6 Semi-final matches
3:00 p.m. Top 4 teams play 3 Final matches
3:30 p.m. Awards Ceremony
4:00 p.m. Conclusion of Game Day Activities
Kansas BEST gratefully acknowledges the generous sponsorship of these organizations:
FOUNDING PARTNER
Texas Instruments
NATIONAL PARTNER
MathWorks
LOCAL PARTNER
红领巾瓜报 College of Engineering
NATIONAL SPONSORS
Toyota USA Foundation
igus |Dassault Systems Solidworks
intelitek | Wolfram | SolidWize
DIAMOND SPONSORS
Textron Aviation
PLATINUM SPONSOR
Spirit AeroSystems
KANSAS BEST FRIENDS
W. Frank Barton School of Business
Atchison High School Video Productions
WSU Project Innovation Hub
Regal Plastics
Subway Valley Center
Bryan Jaax
The BEST (Boosting Engineering, Science and TechnologyTM) mission is to engage and excite students about engineering, science, and technology as well as inspire them to pursue careers in these field. BEST is designed to encourage youth through participation in a sports-like contest, in which middle and high school students design and build a remote-controlled robot. Industry and education professionals volunteer as team mentors, providing professional expertise in the design and construction processes of the competition.
BEST students learn to analyze and solve problems using the Engineering Design Process, which helps students develop technological literacy skills鈥攕kills that industry seeks in its workforce. To simulate a 鈥渞eal world鈥� business and engineering environment, some competition restrictions include:
鈥� Short development time (eight weeks)
鈥� Limited components (identical materials provided)
鈥� Specific design requirements (size, weight, etc.)
BEST program goals are accomplished through participation in local 鈥渉ub鈥� competitions, of which Kansas BEST is one. Other hubs are located in Alabama, Arkansas, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, New Mexico, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, and Texas. There are three regional championships in December, in which the top teams from each hub compete: Texas BEST Championship hosted by University of Texas at Dallas; South鈥檚 BEST Championship hosted by Auburn University; and Denver BEST hosted by Rocky Mtn BEST. Kansas BEST will send the top 4 teams to the Denver BEST Championship. These teams will receive stipends to attend the competition.
The BEST program receives vital support from school administrators and local businesses. Financial support is received from both individuals and industry.
For more information, visit these BEST websites:
Kansas: kansasbest.org | BEST Robotics, Inc.: www.bestinc.org
Facebook: fb.com/Kansas BEST Robotics
The world is preparing to return to the moon! But this time鈥ith an intent to stay.
In preparation, BEST Robotics has been recruited by the world鈥檚 space agencies to develop robots that can be deployed now. You have been selected as one of the teams that will send robots back to the moon to perform exploratory tasks and prepare for future habitation by humans. The preparation will be long, arduous work and your robot must withstand the unique harsh low gravity environment. Your team will construct a robot worthy of accomplishing specific lunar tasks and face off in an evaluation to determine which robots are BEST.
In the Low G simulation, each team鈥檚 spacecraft is expected to land in an area surrounding the Central Basin Crater, thought to be ideal for mining and construction. Your lander has touched down just outside the crater. It is your home base while visiting the moon and is the safest location to remain in during the freezing lunar nights.
The terrain outside your lander will vary. Your robot must be capable of navigating the terrain and completing several tasks that were started during previous missions.
You will work with other teams to construct the Hoberman Habitat Site within the Central Basin Crater. The crater has two permanently shaded regions which are in total darkness and difficult to access and maneuver within. BEST is excited for the opportunity to provide the robots that will prepare our future on the moon. We are excited that YOU will begin our journey to a multi-planetary civilization! The world is counting on you.
Objectives
路 Surface mining
路 Sub-terrain mining (core samples)
路 Radio antenna repair
路 Solar panel maintenance (orientation and cleaning)
路 Robot battery replenishment and charging
路 Power distribution for habitat
路 Habitat construction
路 Self-preservation during lunar night conditions
Bold names are teams that are competing for the BEST Award, * Indicates teams participating for the first time.
351 Wichita Collegiate HS
352 Moundridge
353 USD 214 Ulysses
354 Council Grove High School
355 Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School
358 Wichita Homeschool
359 Republic County High School
360 Ellinwood High School
362 Atchison High School
365 Quark Robotics - Rose Hill
366 Central Christian Academy *
368 USD 300 - South Central High School Protection *
370 Garden City High School
372 Rock Creek High School
375 Osage City High School
376 Life Preparatory Academy *
378 Valley Center High School
381 Washburn Rural High School
384 Berean Academy
388 Stafford
Masters of Ceremony: Taylor Cazabat, Jeffery Thomas
Staging: Paul Cook, Kirsten Jensen
Check-in Compliance: John Matthew, Don Brushwood, Jeremiah Schlittenhardt
Floor Boss (Rules): John Matthew
Pit Boss: Bryan Jaax
Referees: Scott Ricke (Head Referee), Misti Burch, Jamey Marshall, Josh Lund, Talon Sullivan, Brandon McIntosh, Nicholas Burgeson, Luke Hughes
Scoring: Joel Cazares
Head Judge: Jeremy Marshall
Hospitality Room: Sharon Brushwood
The Kansas BEST steering group aims to motivate high school students to pursue careers in engineering, science and technology. BEST provides a means to showcase opportunities at 红领巾瓜报 and encourage students to pursue engineering degrees within the WSU College of Engineering.
In 2000, the Bill Wilhelm Endowed Engineering Scholarship was established with unique eligibility requirements. To be a recipient of this scholarship, a student must be a past participant of Kansas BEST. In addition to this scholarship fund, the Kansas BEST Scholarship fund was created to support former BEST participants pursuing engineering degrees at WSU. Past recipients include:
|
2002 鈥� Amanda Roeder 2003 鈥� Leah Boundy 2004 鈥� Jenny Marshall 2005 鈥� Kevin Brauning 2006 鈥� Joey Marshall 2007 鈥� Michael Staab 2008 鈥� Brian Pham 2009 鈥� Ben Hayes 2010 鈥� Cade Hiebsch 2011 鈥� Kevin Brink 2012 鈥� Brett Harms and Nathan Albert 2013 鈥� Jeremy Marshall and Samuel Janssen |
2014 鈥� Joshua Albert and Mason Ryle 2015 鈥� Johnny Marshall, Gabriel McGregor 2016 鈥� Umama Ali 2017 鈥� Jessica Prudence 2018 鈥� Victoria Bishop 2019 鈥� Jennifer Weddle 2020 鈥� Jess Prudence 2021 鈥� David Hathaway 2022 鈥� Jamey Marshall 2023 鈥� Calla Unruh 2024 鈥� Matthew Phan |
Any high school team competing in the Kansas BEST Game competition is eligible for the BEST Award, which goes to the team that best embodies the concept of Boosting Engineering, Science, and TechnologyTM. In addition to the design, building and testing of the team鈥檚 robot, this competition emphasizes the teamwork, sportsmanship, diversity, and school/community support necessary for success.
Materials must be the work of the students. Involvement of student journalists, photographers, artists, musicians (serving in auxiliary roles in support of their school鈥檚 BEST team) is encouraged. Teams are evaluated in four categories:
- Project Summary Notebook, the documentation of the project including photographs, drawings, etc. must be submitted on Practice Day.
- Marketing Presentation given by each team within a 25-minute time frame to a panel of judges.
- Team Exhibit/Interviews of team promotional efforts for BEST within their school and community, and interviews to assess the students鈥� enthusiasm/multi-grade level/student as prime designers and builders of their robot.
Robot Performance based on total team points earned during the seeding competition.
Project Summary Notebook
Don Brushwood (Boeing), Jeremy Marshall (Spirit Aerosystems), Lori Jenkins, John Huffman (Spirit Aerosystems), Joel Cazares (Boeing), Nicholas Burgeson, Tom Gerlach, Carla Aldridge, Matthew Phan, Linda Manfull
Marketing Oral Presentation
Frank Barton School of Business - Alexander Ziegler, Charles Martin, Dotty Harpool, Jeremiah Schlittenhardt
Team Exhibit and Interviews
Alexander Ziegler, Don Brushwood, Jeremiah Schlittenhardt
Founders Award for Creative Design by Textron Aviation
Wyatt Smrcka, Stacia Kaylor
Spirit Aerosystems Robust Machine Award
Bryan Jaax, Jeremy Marshall
Spirit and Sportsmanship
WSU COE Ambassadors
Top Gun
Awarded to the team that scores the most points in one match.
Team Ambassador (astronaut and video)
Garden City High School, 'Buffy'
Most Robust Robot - Spirit Aerosystems
1st Place - Garden City High School, 2nd Place - Wichita Homeschool, 3rd Place - Republic County High School
Founders Award for Creative Design - Textron Aviation
1st Place - Council Grove High School, 2nd Place - Wichita Homeschool, 3rd Place - Garden City High School
Top Gun (most points scored in one match)
Wichita Homeschool, Driver - Charlie Weddle (590 points)
Spirit and Sportsmanship
1st Place - Wichita Homeschool, 2nd Place - ,Garden City High School 3rd Place - Council Grove High School
Engineering Notebook
1st Place - Wichita Homeschool, 2nd Place - Quark Robotics Rose Hill High School, 3rd Place - Garden City High School
Marketing Presentation
1st Place Tie - Council Grove High School and Wichita Homeschool, 3rd Place - Garden City High School
Team Exhibits and Interviews
1st Place - Wichita Homeschool, 2nd Place - Quark Robotics Rose Hill, 3rd Place Garden City
Robot Performance
1st Place - Wichita Homeschool, 2nd Place - Republic County High School, 3rd Place - Garden City High School, 4th Place - Stafford High School
BEST Award
1st Place - Wichita Homeschool, 2nd Place - Garden City High School, 3rd Place - Council Grove High School
Teams Advancing to Denver Regionals
BEST Award Competition - Wichita Homeschool, Garden City High School, Council Grove High School
Robot Performance Competition - Republic County High School, Stafford High School
