1. Developing a Winning Notebook
Introductions:
Introduce yourself & session
How many of you have competed in a BEST robotics competition?
How many of you are new to the BEST robotics competition? (Yay!)
The purpose of this presentation is to provide you with some insight as to what you are going to be evaluated on in this category of the competition, to walk through the score sheet, and to be able to ask any questions that you might have.
All of the information that we are going to be talking about can be found in your teacher’s Kick-Off packet or on the NDSU BEST robotics website in the Awards & Judging Documents and in the score sheet.
If you have any questions, you may contact our Awards & Judging Coordinator, Nik Kukert.
Bison BEST
Kick-Off Session
2017

2. BEST Award The competition is comprised of two segments
Robotics Competition
The BEST Award (optional)
Note: The Project Engineering Notebook is required
along with the robot for the robot competition
The BEST program is split into 2 categories – the Robotics Competition and the BEST Award. The BEST Award is optional for teams to compete for. The Team Exhibit & Interview points contribute to the BEST Award.
NOTE: The Project Engineering Notebook is required for EVERY team competing at Bison BEST! Even the teams that are not competing for the BEST Award.

3. BEST Award All teams are eligible for the BEST Award
Judging is based on five criteria (100 points possible)
Project Engineering Notebook (30 points)
Marketing Presentation (25 points)
Team Exhibit and Interviews (20 points)
Spirit and Sportsmanship (10 points)
Robot Performance (15 points)
The Project Engineering Notebook is worth 30 of the 100 points for the BEST Award

4. Robotics Competition 8 teams advance to Semi-finals
Team #1-7 – Advance to Semi-finals based on seeding match
Team #8 selected based on Wild Card match
The BEST program is split into 2 categories – the Robotics Competition and the BEST Award. The BEST Award is optional for teams to compete for. The Team Exhibit & Interview points contribute to the BEST Award.
NOTE: The Project Engineering Notebook is required for EVERY team competing at Bison BEST! Even the teams that are not competing for the BEST Award.

5. Robotics Competition Wild Card match
How to qualify – High Engineering Notebook score
Top 4 play wild card match
Winner advances to Semi-finals
The BEST program is split into 2 categories – the Robotics Competition and the BEST Award. The BEST Award is optional for teams to compete for. The Team Exhibit & Interview points contribute to the BEST Award.
NOTE: The Project Engineering Notebook is required for EVERY team competing at Bison BEST! Even the teams that are not competing for the BEST Award.

6. Purpose
Tool for documenting the process used to design, build, and test the robot
The purpose of the Project Engineering Notebook is to be used as a tool for documenting the process used to design, build, and test your robot.

7. Guidelines Standard 3-ring binder with 2” max rings
Binder & cover/title page must identify the school, team name, teacher contact, and team number
35 Typed, single-sided pages or less
Title & Table of contents page not included in 35 page count
Double-spaced
Single spacing acceptable in tables and outlines
1” margins
8.5” x 11” Standard paper
Times New Roman Font (preferred)
12 point font – no smaller!
Go through guidelines (no changes from previous years)

8. Notebook Due Dates NDSU College of Engineering NDSU Bison BEST
Due by 10:30 AM on Friday, October 27th
You may bring it to the designated area at the Check-In table or mailed ahead of time to:
NDSU College of Engineering
NDSU Dept. 2450
Engineering Administration Room 203
P.O. Box 6050
Fargo, ND

9. Notebook Evaluations Team Demographics Form (paper form)
NEEDS to be submitted before you will receive your Robot Compliance Card – turn into the Team Check-In table on Friday, October 27th.
Failure to include this form will result in ineligibility to participate in the competition
Implementation of the Engineering Design Process
Research Paper
Brainstorming Approaches
Analytical Evaluation of Design Alternatives
Offensive and Defensive Evaluation
Safety
Support Documentation
Overall Quality and Completeness of Notebook

10. Scoring Breakdown Research Paper – 4 points
Engineering Design Process – 17 points
Overall Quality & Completeness of Notebook – 9 points
Total of 30 points towards the BEST Award

11. Research Paper Research Paper
Description of how the current year’s game theme is related to current technological practices or scientific research (Refer to you’re A&J Policies for further clarification)
How does the theme tie to your local area?
2-5 pages (is included in the 35 count)
Needs to be designated as a separate section
The research paper is another key piece of your notebook. This 2-5 page paper is worth 4 of the 30 total points for your notebook score!!!
Your research paper will be judged on the following:
- Correlation between the game and how this science/technology is being used in this region (Upper Midwest)
- if you look at the rubric on your score sheet – if you don’t tie the research back to our region, you are only looking at 1-3 points in a 10 point possible category! HUGE!
- Related information of the game theme – history, famous inventors, major milestones, etc.
- How you creatively link the game to the appropriately researched science content
- Proper formal writing (it is a research paper, not a novel, not a personal narrative, not an essay… a scientific research paper)
- watch for misspellings, grammatical errors
- Proofread… Proofread… have someone else Proofread… 

12. Engineering Design Process
Define the Problem
Research the Problem
Brainstorm Possible Solutions
Choose the Best Solution
Build a Model or Prototype
Test your Solution
Communicate your Solution
Redesign as Needed
Your notebook is going to be judged on how well your team documents several key engineering categories.
How did your team implement the Engineering Design Process over these past 6 weeks?
Provide clear evidence that the process was effectively used.
Evidence that you have identified the process explicitly is worth 17 points of the total 30 Project Notebook BEST points!
Talk through the steps…
From Technology Education Department; Richfield School District; Richfield, WI

13. Engineering Design Process
Evidence that it was effectively used
Brainstorming approaches
Analytical evaluation of design alternatives
Offensive and defensive alternatives
Software design and simulation
Safety
Support documentation
As you look through the subcategories under the “design process” heading of the score sheet, you can see the following:
Evidence that it was effectively used
Brainstorming approaches
Analytical evaluation of design alternatives
Offensive and defensive alternatives
Software design and simulation
Safety
Support documentation
Software Design & Simulation – there is a separate award given for this as well… we will talk a little more about this a little later…

14. Supplemental Appendix
Teams may include a supplemental appendix
No more than 20 pages front and back (40 total pages of information) – in addition to the 35 page notebook
Include support documentation – Reference in notebook
Drawings or photos
Organization charts
Minutes of team meetings
Test results

15. Supplemental Appendix
This material should directly support the process described in the primary document and NOT reflect activities related to community or promotional efforts, spirit development, or team-building
Don’t waste pages on describing fundraising, community or promotional efforts, spirt development or team-building

16. Poor Notebooks Do not include every section in the guidelines
Are not well organized
Are not typed or have poor formatting
Do not document the entire process
Are thrown together at the last minute
Are a result of too much focus on robot performance and not enough on process
Includes excess, unnecessary material
The last 9 points of your 30 point Notebook BEST score… is for Overall Quality and completeness of the Notebook…

17. Tips For Success Assign a notebook manager
Include everything that is required
No more, no less
Use the project requirements and score sheets as a checklist
Take advantage of the appendix
This is a great place for miscellaneous evidence of the engineering process not included in the main paper

18. Tips For Success
We have a lot of notebooks to judge, organization is key
Table of contents
Appendix
Engineers like to see the process as much as the final result
Document all activities throughout the process
If you thought of it, document it
Use the notebook as a working document

19. Software Design Award Software Design Award:
Presented to the team that is able to best describe and articulate their software design process, techniques, and experiences
Focus on the Software design process, not the actual coding.
Presented to the team that is able to best describe and articulate their software design process, techniques, and experiences
Intended to show that “programming” is an essential part of overall robot design and requires just as much though as the mechanical / electrical design
Winners of this award will be eligible for a BEST-wide drawing for a $1,000 cash award!!! Winners will be registered and entered in a drawing to win 1 of 3 $1, cash prizes!
There is a separate score sheet for evaluating this portion of the notebook.

20. Questions?
Questions?
If there are any that you can’t answer – they can always ask Awards & Judging Coordinator, Nik!! 
Best of luck this season!! 
See you in 6 weeks!