1. Kansas BEST Kickoff Day
New Team Orientation
Kansas BEST Kickoff Day
September 10, 2016

2. You are about to begin a BEST experience
Take a Deep Breath
You are about to begin a BEST experience
9/19/2015

3. Organizing a BEST team
Carefully read the rules and the technical data.
Review the construction materials allowed.
Designate a key person and assistant to specialize in each of the following areas:
Game Rules
Robot tasks and strategy
Joystick and CORTEX Microcontroller
Batteries and Chargers
Mechanical/Structural systems
Materials
Documentation
Double duty may be necessary.
Read the rules and technical data again

4. Follow An Engineering Process
Define the Problem
Brainstorm: Strategy & Design
Evaluate: Strategy & Design
Select Strategy & Prelim Design (s)
Build Prototypes
Detail Design
Construction
Testing
Deliver Product

5. Brainstorming Everyone gets a chance to make an input
No right or wrong inputs
Team effort
Multivote to reduce number of options
Try some of the good ideas with prototypes
Let the team decide

6. Build & Follow A Schedule

7. Robot Attributes Required
Robot is required to fit in 2 foot cube at start
Weight not to exceed 24 pounds
Robot to be built only with kit materials

8. Robot Design Targets Durability/Reliability
Design & build to be strong (“Robust”)
Easy to build, maintain & repair
Good electrical connections
Allow Strategy Versatility
Do “Good” in more than one way
Able to change strategy during match
Operability (Multiple Drivers Required)
Easy to run
Manipulator(s) easy to operate

9. What Can You Control ?
Robot movement, manipulation of game pieces & autonomous actions
Two Large motors
Two small motors
Four servos
Controller has 6+ channel controls
All motors and servos can be used simultaneously 9

10. Practice Day Required event
Must bring something –may be a box of parts
Do not need to bring whole team
Turn in notebook
Usually over by 1:00 P.M.

11. Game Day Time to have some fun Team pictures
Team exhibit (if competing for BEST Award)
Game Competition
Awards Ceremony
Over by 4:00 P.M.

12. Practice & Game Day
There are no restrictions on the program used on the CORTEX Microcontroller except no output is allowed from motor output positions 1 and 10 .
Each team may have one laptop computer in their pit.
A computer is considered a support tool.
Changing the Cortex program during the competition (between rounds) is acceptable, but not recommended. 12

13. BRI Website – Official Game Documentation
Game rules
Field Drawings
Software
Q&A  CHECK OFTEN!!! RULES CAN CHANGE!!!
2016 Awards and Judging Files
Awards and Judging Policies
Score Sheets with Points
Team Demographics Form or
or --- just search on best robotics

14. BRI Web Site

15. Participants Contest Information Resources Feedback *New* BEST Forum
File Manager
Official Q&A

16. Resources

17. Resources (cont.)

18. Other Resources Coaches Survival Guide
60 pages of great information
Technical Training & Documentation
“New” BEST User Forums

19. Resources/Help Kansas BEST – will try to find someone to help
Erin Shields is contact point
Other Kansas BEST teams
don’t hesitate to call