BEST Robotics, Inc Copyright © 2015 BEST Robotics, Inc. All rights reserved.

30 April 2015 Copyright © 2015 BEST Robotics, Inc. All rights reserved. 2 Agenda  What is BEST?  BEST Mission and Inspiration  Core Objectives and Values  BEST Program  How It Works  Benefits to Students  Testimony  BEST Divisions  Questions????

Mission BEST is a non-profit, volunteer-based organization whose mission is to inspire students to pursue careers in engineering, science, and technology through participation in a sports-like, science and engineering- based robotics competition. 30 April 2015 Copyright © 2015 BEST Robotics, Inc. All rights reserved. 3

BEST Program  Targeted towards middle school and high school students  Fall competition starts in September and concludes six (6) weeks later in October  Teams that win at the hub level advance to a regional championship  Student-designed, student-built, student-driven robots  Students have the experience, including hands-on manufacturing  Simulates real-world constraints with limited time and resources  Mentors – engineers from local companies – guide the students in the planning and construction of their robot  Mentors may not design, build, or compete  Mentors are the critical element of a team’s success! 30 April 2015 Copyright © 2015 BEST Robotics, Inc. All rights reserved. 4

BEST and Engineering Design Process  The Engineering Design Process is the fundamental problem-solving tool BEST teachers and mentors use to help guide students through the design-and-construction phase of the competition.  BEST is less about building robots and more about teaching students how to analyze and solve problems.  What BEST students learn is what industry needs in its future workforce and what communities need in their future leaders. 30 April 2015 Copyright © 2015 BEST Robotics, Inc. All rights reserved. 5

BEST Divisions  BEST Robot Performance  Team that scores the most points during seeding and finals rounds  BEST Award  Given for excellence in the process of building the robot as well as the extent the teams boost engineering, science, and technology within their school and community  Project engineering notebook  Marketing presentation  Conference exhibit and interviews  Spirit and sportsmanship  Robot performance 30 April 2015 Copyright © 2015 BEST Robotics, Inc. All rights reserved. 6

BEST Benefits to Students  Increases understanding of technical concepts and scientific principles  Provides real-world science and engineering challenges with limited resources  Exposure to the engineering process with constrained time period – engineering is “demystified”  Encourages creative thinking, self-directed learning, and problem solving  Experience “design-to-market” product development  Promotes team building and sportsmanship  Receive recognition and acclaim typically reserved for their peers in sports. 30 April 2015 Copyright © 2015 BEST Robotics, Inc. All rights reserved. 7

Comparisons 30 April 2015 Copyright © 2015 BEST Robotics, Inc. All rights reserved. 8 AttributesBEST FIRST Lego League VEX Robotics FIRST Robotics Competition Team size No limit; averages 20 students Maximum 10 students Maximum 5 students No limit; averages 25 students Education linkAligned to schools; co-curricular None CostNone to participating schools Requires Lego Mindstorms + FLL setup kit (annually) Registration fee + event fee + kit Event fee + kit Price per team$0$300 registration + > $500 for kits $100 + varies + $1,000 $TBD for kit + $5,000 per event Kit typeElectronics + materials Electronics + fabricated parts Electronics + fabricated parts + materials