Teams of middle- and high-school students will compete in Grove City College’s annual BEST Robotics Competition on Oct. 25 and 26.
On Friday, Oct. 25, the student teams will display their robots and present marketing, and team exhibits from 4 to 7 p.m. in the Physical Learning Center (PLC) on campus. Their robots will be put to the test from 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Saturday in the Arena of the PLC.
Schools that signed up for the competition include Clarion Area High School, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (CVCA), FINS Robotics, DuBois Area High School, Franklin Area Jr/Sr High School, Grove City Area Middle School, Redeemer Lutheran School, Christian Life Academy, Mentor Christian School, Altoona Area High School, Commonwealth Academy, and Redbank Valley High School.
Volunteers are needed to help with the competition. No prior experience in engineering or with BEST Robotics is required. Lunch and dinner are provided. To volunteer, please contact BEST Hub Director Brandon Zimmerman at zimmermanbs@gcc.edu
BEST Robotics is a national robotics competition that exposes students to STEM concepts through hands-on experience. The competition allows students to use and develop skills in engineering, problem-solving, good sportsmanship, technical writing, artistic design, and marketing.
“During the competition students get to meet peers from other schools, learn from them, and assist them as needed. The competition at GCC is fierce, but comradery and sportsmanship are the defining characteristics of Game Day,” said Dr. Mike Bright.
Bright started Grove City College’s BEST hub in 2010, providing middle and high school students in the region with an opportunity to learn engineering skills in a competitive and fun way. “GCC has many students and alumni in a variety of majors who found their passion for higher level careers through BEST,” Bright said.
“BEST Robotics is not just for science- or engineering-minded students, it is for anyone who wants to be a part of a team and have fun building a robot, driving a robot, making a presentation, making an exhibit or showing spirit and sportsmanship for their team as well as the others participating,” said Zimmerman, who serves as GCC’s Mechatronics Engineer.
Every year the competition has a different themed challenge. This year’s game is titled “Low G.” The theme centers around a moon base. Each team will need to create a robot that can cross uneven moon terrain while carrying a little astronaut named Manny to the habitat site. The teams will need to take into consideration the low gravity, and design wheel systems that can function on a rough terrain where the robot may encounter bumps. Each team must work together to discover an effective way to get the robot across the terrain without losing Manny.
Competition organizers provide all materials to build the robots free of charge to encourage all schools to participate.
The teams are provided with a kit that includes plywood, wood, sheet of metal, sheet of polycarbonate, sheet of PVC, PVC pipes and fittings, turntable, tapes and glue, large assortment of screws and bolts, Igus kits that have linear rails and cable carriers, nylon cord, shock cord, bicycle inner tube, aluminum and steel rods and a block of aluminum. They are, for the most part, restricted to these materials.
Awards are distributed for different skill areas and portions in the competition. According to Zimmerman, the teams from the GCC hub often do very well at nationals. Last year four teams from the GCC hub made it to the championship in Denver, Colo., including Mentor Christian School, Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy (CVCA), DuBois, and FINS Robotics.