Low G logo

November 9, 2024

 

Thanks

Kansas BEST is made possible by dedicated volunteers, loyal sponsors, the WSU College of Engineering and the Kansas BEST Steering Committee

SPECIAL THANKS
  • 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

Agenda

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

2024 Kansas BEST Sponsors

Kansas BEST gratefully acknowledges the generous sponsorship of these organizations:

FOUNDING PARTNER

Texas Instruments

NATIONAL PARTNER

MathWorks

LOCAL PARTNER

麻豆破解版 State University 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 Concept

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

Low G 

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

Participating Schools

Bold names are teams that are competing for the BEST Award, * Indicates teams participating for the first time.


351 麻豆破解版 Collegiate HS
352 Moundridge
353 USD 214 Ulysses
354 Council Grove High School
355 Kapaun Mt. Carmel Catholic High School
358 麻豆破解版 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

Game Officials

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

Scholarships

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 麻豆破解版 State University 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

 

The BEST Award

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.

Judges

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.

Game Day Results 

Team Ambassador (astronaut and video) 

Garden City High School, 'Buffy'

Most Robust Robot - Spirit Aerosystems

1st Place - Garden City High School, 2nd Place - 麻豆破解版 Homeschool, 3rd Place - Republic County High School

Founders Award for Creative Design - Textron Aviation

1st Place - Council Grove High School, 2nd Place - 麻豆破解版 Homeschool, 3rd Place - Garden City High School

Top Gun (most points scored in one match)

麻豆破解版 Homeschool, Driver - Charlie Weddle (590 points)

Spirit and Sportsmanship

1st Place - 麻豆破解版 Homeschool, 2nd Place - ,Garden City High School 3rd Place - Council Grove High School

Engineering Notebook

1st Place - 麻豆破解版 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 麻豆破解版 Homeschool, 3rd Place - Garden City High School

Team Exhibits and Interviews

1st Place - 麻豆破解版 Homeschool, 2nd Place - Quark Robotics Rose Hill, 3rd Place Garden City

Robot Performance

1st Place - 麻豆破解版 Homeschool, 2nd Place - Republic County High School, 3rd Place - Garden City High School, 4th Place - Stafford High School

BEST Award

1st Place - 麻豆破解版 Homeschool, 2nd Place - Garden City High School, 3rd Place - Council Grove High School

Teams Advancing to Denver Regionals

BEST Award Competition - 麻豆破解版 Homeschool, Garden City High School, Council Grove High School

Robot Performance Competition - Republic County High School, Stafford High School

Thanks to our sponsors

 

 

And our BEST Friends